For him, stardom is relative, while the story remains central. “Stardom is relative and script is the star. It is not one size fits all,” he added.
Actor Ayushmann Khurrana believes the idea of a Bollywood “star” has changed with the rise of multiple entertainment platforms and audiences. Speaking at FICCI Frames in Mumbai, the actor said stardom can no longer be defined by a single hierarchy, with influencers, YouTubers and creators building their own audiences. “We are dwelling in multiple universes, where there are multiple worlds of entertainment and there are multiple stars of each world,” he said.
Because of the kind of stories he wants to tell, elaborating further, he explained that staying connected with people is particularly important. The actor also spoke about the changing economics of theatrical cinema, pointing to the need for films that can connect with audiences without depending solely on star power or large budgets. It sounds simple but it isn’t. Now, he feels he is returning to the sensibility that defined his early work. It is my genre.”
Speaking about his own approach to being accessible to audiences, Ayushmann said that coming from a background in radio and television, interacting with people remains important to him. “For me, the latter works for me, because I’ve come from radio background, and been a TV presenter, so I need to talk to people,” he said. “My stories are rooted, I need to talk to grassroot level people, to keep the artist in me alive,” he said. Citing Hanuman Ansh and Obsession as examples, he said, “We need to be budget-friendly, connect more with people. “I’m going back to my core, which is authenticity,” he said, adding that authentic subjects can still draw audiences. That philosophy, he says, also informs his upcoming film Udta Teer. Calling the project a return to his core genre, he said, “I’m going back to my core.
For Ayushmann, the belief that the story should be bigger than its lead has been central to his career. We need to be budget-friendly, connect more with people.
“I’ve always believed that films that I do are stories are bigger than the actor,” he said, recalling how he has experimented with different genres over the last two decades. Earlier reporting noted: Ayushmann Khurrana says more small-budget movies like Hanuman Ansh and Obsession should be made Actor Ayushmann Khurrana spoke at the session ‘Cinema at Crossroads – The Rules of the Big Screen’ on day one of FICCI Frames. The actor who is gearing up for the release of Udta Teer , said that a film’s script and authenticity are more important to its theatrical success in an entertainment landscape where audiences have access to multiple stars across different platforms. Earlier reporting noted: What Ayushmann said What Ayushmann said Earlier reporting noted: “Hanuman Ansh and Obsession belong to two different worlds and are small-budget films, I think we need to make movies like that. It sounds simple but it isn’t,” the actor said.
