Cracking the Code

AK’s Journey in Bollywood

Ayushmann Khuranna. A name that catapulted to fame with his maiden film in Bollywood – Vicky Donor. After a string of flops, he rose to fame with Dum Laga k Haisha. In 2018, his dramatic performance in Andhadhun and Badhaai ho earned him world wide fame with his first National Award for Best Actor.

In 2015, he had penned his autobiography with his wife Tahira Kashyap. Picking up from Amazon Prime Read, I was led through his journey along with his vulnerabilities, rejections and of course,his core mantra to success in one of the most coveted film industries in the world. Autobiographies like such, often paint a more human side to Bollywood stars.

“Know yourself. Respect yourself. Prepare yourself. Make your weakness your strength and supplement your strength with an equal dose of humility.”

ayushmann Khuranna

The flair for entertainment and showbiz was unmistakable from his childhood, however, it came as a shock to his family and his then girlfriend, Tahira – that he wanted to pursue his career in acting in Bollywood. Bollywood is that glistening diamond every artist dreams to own and Ayushmann was no different. Defying nepotism, he slowly built his brand. At age of 17, he tried his luck in Popstars as a singer, competiting with Neeti Mohan. He later moved into Roadies,which was one of the flagship shows of MTv and eventually won the show. Ayushmann gives a front-row ticket to the behind the scenes in the reality shows and how he had molded himself through ups and downs on the reality shows. For example, it was his stint as a Roadie task to donate sperm is what eventually helped him to land with his debut role in Vicky Donor.

He had put emphasis on his slow and steady approach to Bollywood. He choose to be away from camera,post the reality show success, for a better grip on voice modulation and improvement in caricature methods. His post graduation in journalism helped him to opt for career in radio. He has vividly described the amount of preparation he used to put into his RJ class presentations. His complete abstinence to alcohol and frolic after classes helped him to invest more time in preparing for his acts. The dedication paid off and he had landed with highest bucket package with Big FM along with Gaurav Kapur. This RJ days slowly blurred into VJ days with MTv. He had to improve his fluency in English (He considers Nikhil Chinappa to be his teacher) for his shows and had also devised the famous “Ayushmann bhav” as his catchphrase. Soon he was deemed as the highest-paid host of reality shows on television.

He had to deal with several failed auditions specially for Bhaag Milkha Bhaag. His first break on Vicky Donor was followed by string of flop movies like Nautanki Saala and Hawaizaade. Several of his movies failed to make a mark on box office but he did not give up on his dream. He had to juggle his successful career with his family. He married Tahira after keeping his promise of becoming established in his field of interest. He made his comeback again with Dum Laga K Haisha.He made his stronghold in Bollywood without the big banners like Dharma Productions and YRF for launch. He is one of the champions who is basking in glory without any strings in Bollywood.

His book is strewn with his words of wisdom and the “codes” to his success. He has insisted on the maintaining the unwavering attention to goal. Paiting a rather realistic picture of his journey, he has urged to turn all personal failures into life lessons. Once you are true to yourself, you can excel in your life – that’s the underlying core mantra throughout his book.

“Give your best to whatever opportunity you get; never underestimate the significance of even the smallest of junctures. Your past action will one day become your future redemption.”

AYUSHMANN KHURANNA

He has never shied away from the characters he had played onscreen. In fact, he prepares for each role methodically which is translates into his effortless acting on the screen. The plethora of characters he has played in span of 8 years is commendable. Ranveer Singh,in an interview, had rightfully said that Ayushmann Khuranna is a genre in himself.

I had a vicarious trip of his life and Bollywood industry, walking along side with him. His wit will make you laugh, his failures will make you cry. He is the class of the actors who has transitioned Bollywood into a more meaningful avatar and the book is a just a gleaming evidence of it.

Head over to comment section and let us know if you have read the book. You can also reach me on Facebook or Instagram to share your views. Cheers to Reading!

All images have been sourced from Google.