A year of success with films as diverse as Andhadhun and Badhaii Ho and Ayushmann Khurrana again changed the rules in 2019 -- he returned as a cop in a film about caste discrimination in the Hindi heartland of the country. A hard-hitting film about gang-rape and murder of two underage girls inspired by a true crime, Anubhav Sinha’s Article 15 is a long way off from Ayushmann’s films such as Bareilly Ki Barfi or Shubh Mangal Savdhaan that gave the moniker of present-day Amol Palekar or a thinking man’s Grahshobha. However, for the actor who appears to be on the way to deliver his fifth hit in a row, one thing is clear -- always expect him to ask uncomfortable questions which most would want to brush under the carpet.

In less than two years, Ayushmann has made a niche for himself and a dedicated audience base with his realistic acting and an interesting choice of films. A theatre artist who has slogged for several years and has rarely disappointed his fans when it comes to delivering a flawless performance.

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The last year saw big budget flops starring established superstars, which again emphasises that the audience is not ready to compromise on the quality of cinema they are paying to watch. In this scenario, Ayushmann is on the way to deliver fifth consecutive hit of his career.

After making a smashing debut with Vicky Donor in 2012, Ayushmann dabbled in comedy (Nautanki Saala!), peppy romantic love story (Bewakoofiyaan) and even a biographical period drama (Hawaizaada) but no formula worked for the actor. He eventually tasted success in 2015 with a small-town love story Dum Laga Ke Haisha in which he played a sulking husband whose wife is overweight. But his another romantic drama set in the Bengal, Meri Pyaari Bindu, turned out to be major disappointment.

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He again rose to prove his mettle and nailed the romantic act in Bareilly Ki Barfi, and has been unstoppable since then. While the Ashwiny Iyer Tiwari film also starring Kriti Sanon and Rajkummar Rao earned Rs 58 crore worldwide gross going on to become a sleeper hit, he went on to play a bachelor dealing with erectile dysfunction in Shubh Mangal Saavdhan. It, too, went on to become a hit and earned Rs 43 crore at box office.

He eventually made a hat-trick with Andhadhun that found favour with the audiences. He even won the Filmfare Critics Award for Best Actor for portrayal of a blind musician. While the film collected an impressive 74 crore at the domestic box office, it went on to release in China that took its worldwide gross collection to a whopping Rs 456 crore. He delivered yet another blockbuster Bhadhaai Ho in the same year with collections of Rs 137 crore, becoming the first Rs 100 crore film of his career.

And looking at the reviews coming in for Article 15, the film is expected to turn the fifth hit of his career. It collected over Rs 12 crore in two days and is expected to have a consistent run at the box office.

The actor recently said in an interview to Deccan Chronicle, “Realistic films show that nobody is perfect. Every human is imperfect, and it’s okay to show our imperfections as heroes in films. This is the reality of life, and people relate to that. I have set my tone since my first film, and I will maintain that in my future films, as well. I feel, only stupid scripts can make you a superstar, and 2018 has been quite a landmark for content-driven films that were crossing 100 crores.”

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First Published: Jun 30, 2019 13:13 IST