It isn’t easy for an outsider to make it big in the Hindi film industry, but this actor didn’t just become an A-lister but also, went on to carve his own niche in Bollywood.
Even after being rejected by Karan Johar, he gave multiple Rs 100-crore hits and is now set to enter the Maddock Horror Comedy Universe. The actor being talked about is none other than Ayushmann Khurrana.
Born in Chandigarh to a middle-class family, Ayushmann Khurrana has not just starred in critically and commercially acclaimed films including Vicky Donor, Article 15, Dum Laga Ke Haisha, Badhaai Ho, Andhadhun, and An Action Hero among others; he is also a prolific singer and has sung multiple chartbuster songs such as Pani Da Rang, Saddi Gali, and Naina Da Kya Kasoor.
Ayushmann Khurrana called himself ‘train singer’
While promoting Meri Pyaari Bindu in 2017, Ayushmann recalled how he used to sing in trains with his friends and fund his college trips as he stated, “I want to share how we used to perform in trains. During my college days, there was a train named ‘Pashchim Express’ that used to go from Delhi to Mumbai. So I, along with my friends, used to get onto the train and we used to go to every coach to sing and perform. Passengers used to give us money which we used to collect. We used to earn so much that we managed to sponsor our Goa trip from it! So yes, you can say I am a train singer.”
When Ayushmann Khurrana said his father was a dictator
Speaking on Honestly Saying podcast, Ayushmann has also shared how his father used to beat him in his younger days. He said, “My father was a dictator. Getting beaten with chappals, belts, etc, was part of the course, and of course, there was childhood trauma. One day I was returning from a party, and my shirt smelled of cigarette smoke. Now, I never touched it (cigarette) because of the fear of my father. But I still got beaten up for it.” His father P Khurrana passed away in May 2023.
When Karan Johar rejected Ayushmann Khurrana
When Ayushmann Khurrana appeared alongside Vicky Kaushal in Koffee With Karan Season 6 in 2018, he revealed that Karan Johar had once rejected him. The Bala actor shared, “You gave me a landline number. The next morning, when I called the number and asked to speak to Karan Johar, the person on the other line said, ‘We don’t audition outsiders and newcomers.'” Khurrana hasn’t yet starred in any Dharma Productions movie.
Ayushmann Khurrana to join Maddock Horror Comedy Universe
Ayushmann Khurrana is now set to make his comeback in Bollywood after two years with Thama, which is the next installment in the Maddock Horror Comedy Universe. Four earlier films in this shared universe – Stree, Bhediya, Munjya, and Stree 2 – have collectively grossed Rs 1200 crore at the global box office, with Stree 2 becoming the biggest Bollywood hit in 2024.
Apart from Ayushmann, Thama also stars Rashmika Mandanna, Paresh Rawal, and Nawazuddin Siddiqui in the lead roles. The Aditya Sarpotdar directorial is slated to release on October 21 on the occasion of Diwali and will clash at the box office with Harshvardhan Rane, Sonam Bajwa-starrer romantic drama Ek Deewane ki Deewaniyat.