Exclusive! Ayushmann Says Was 'Relieved' ZHZB, Satyaprem Ki Katha Did Well at BO: 'Most of My Films...'

Film business trends have changed by leaps and bounds in the post-pandemic world. While big scale formulaic projects like Pathaan and Gadar 2 wreaked havoc at the box office, many other larger-than-life spectacles have tanked. Medium budget films, on the other hand, like Zara Hatke Zara Bachke and Satyaprem Ki Katha set the ticket counters ringing. And now seems it like the Ayushmann Khurrana starrer Dream Girl 2 is also following the same path. In 2019, Ayushmann delivered the biggest hit of his career with Dream Girl. The film has collected an estimate of Rs 40 crores in its opening weekend.

In an exclusive chat with News18, Ayushmann addresses the unpredictable nature of the box office in the post-pandemic world and says, “You can only choose content that touches your core. I’ve been choosing content which is different, be it Chandigarh Kare Aashiqui, Doctor G or An Action Hero and the critics loved these films. There were certain conspiracy theories that only spectacle films, family entertainers and sequels would work because people want to go for safer choices. But I’m glad that curve has taken a turn.”

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With his signature candour, he reveals that the successes of Vicky Kaushal and Sara Ali Khan’s Zara Hatke Zara Bachke and Kartik Aaryan and Kiara Advani’s Satyaprem Ki Katha gave him much relief. Prod him further and he elaborates, “In the past three months, we’ve seen mid-budget films like Zara Hatke Zara Bachke and Satyaprem Ki Katha doing well. It’s a welcome change. I was personally relieved because most of my films are like that.”

The 38-year-old continues, “I’ve not done a big-budget film till now, my films are either low-budget or mid-budget but they’re high on content. So, that give me great confidence and encouragement. I’m glad that Dream Girl 2 ticks all the right boxes. It’s a sequel and it’s for a larger palate.”

Though known for his unconventional script choices, Ayushmann has established himself in the ‘mass circles’ with Dream Girl that released in 2019. Happy with the way it helped him cement his versatility, he points out, “Most of my films really do well in the plexes. But Dream Girl penetrated really deep in the interiors and the tier two and tier three cities. When I was shooting for Dream Girl 2 in Mathura, I realised that Dream Girl is the most popular film in Mathura. They probably didn’t know much about Andhadhun (2018) even though it fetched me a National Award but they were more excited about Dream Girl. So, I guess, it was an organic step to make a sequel of the film.”

Ayushmann further reveals that following the success of the comic caper co-starring Nushrratt Bharuccha, he started getting more mainstream scripts. But he’s quick to add that despite Dream Girl 2’s commercial texture, it required him to charter an unconventional territory and that’s the template he wants to stick to throughout his career. “I’ve always been unconventional with my choices since my first film. Dream Girl 2 is a very massy film but the choice of role is still very unconventional because the subject is unconventional. And that will always be the common thread in all my films,” he concludes.