Ayushmann Khurrana says he naturally gravitates towards edgy content and that he is a complete director’s actor.
On the third anniversary of ‘Andhadhun’, directed by Sriram Raghavan, Ayushmann thanked the director for choosing to collaborate with him.
Ayushmann said: “I naturally gravitate towards edgy and disruptive scripts and ‘Andhadhun’ was a combination of everything that is fresh, unique, path-breaking.”
He added: “Sriram Raghavan is one of the best directors of our country and I’m fortunate that I got the opportunity to creatively collaborate with him.”
The film revolves around a boy named Akash, a piano player pretending to be visually-impaired. He unwittingly becomes entangled in a number of problems as he witnesses the murder of a former film actor.
Ayushmann said that he “surrendered” to Raghavan’s vision and his mastery.
“I’m proud that Andhadhun is part of my filmography. It is a project that made me unlearn and learn a lot. Playing a blind man who plays the piano was not an easy task.”
The actor reveals that he was hand-held by the director all through the preparation process and shoot which resulted in him delivering a brilliant performance that earned him the Best Actor award at the National Film Awards.
He says, “I couldn’t have done this with authenticity if I didn’t have a visionary person like Sriram sir to handhold me. I have to credit Pooja Ladha Surti (co-writer and editor) for her magic in shaping the film. And I’m thankful to my piano coach Akshayye Varma too.”
Ayushmann felt challenged as an artiste during ‘Andhadhun’ and that propelled him to deliver his best on screen.
He says, “I’m a total director’s actor and ‘Andhadhun’ made me a better actor than before. It taught me to always challenge myself as an artiste and be a restless creative soul.
“‘Andhadhun’ was one of the most fulfilling films creatively for me as it gave me the freedom to express myself freely. So, all credit to Sriram sir for bringing out a side to me that I didn’t think existed and I thank him for choosing me to be a part of his masterpiece.”
