From his magnificent singing skills to his remarkable acting and the side talent of a poet- the versatile charming artist Ayushmann Khurrana is simply one of the most talented people in the film industry. Working in an assortment of roles in numerous praiseworthy movies; he has always centred himself around a character battling societal norms, Shubh Mangal Savdhaan, Badhaai Ho, Bala and Article 15 being impressive examples.
On our multitalented actor’s birthday, let us take a look at some of his best movies- mostly the middle-rated ones (because none of them are totally underrated)
Dream Girl
If you were told that you are going to watch a comedy film- you will possibly think of keeping your brain aside because comedies and deeply entrenched messages do not go together. But, Shaandilyaa did quite well in his directorial debut entangling the threads of the loneliness and the coping mechanism of diverse individualities.
Karamveer (Ayushmann Khurrana) dresses up as Sita since childhood because of his ability to impersonate women’s voice.
Tolerating unemployment, Karamveer ends up in an adult hotline office where women sweet-talk with men. Ayushmann takes the name of “Pooja” impersonating a woman’s voice so impeccably that it gives even the other women a tough competition. And Bam! Ayushmann’s wonderful acting and his quirky character mould a funny, laughable and enjoyable movie.
What I really loved was the way loneliness was portrayed in the film and the way different people channel it out. Loneliness needs to be tackled- but if we look around for once for our family members, they will always be there for us. Instead, we crave it from others and get our hearts broken cruelly.
Apart from being comedic, it touches various other issues like stereotypes, gender norms, family issues etc. The sidekicks have done their job wonderfully as well.
Available to watch on Zee5.
Bareilly ki Barfi
Bitti Mishra (Kriti Sanon) is everything the society do not want girls to be. She smokes, eats non-veg, comes home late at night and answering about her virginity is the last thing she wants. A cowboy-type? Nah, that is not how you describe her. She is just a normal girl with normal habits- oops! Girls smoking? Not normal at all for us right?
And so, Bitti is stuck in the vicious cycle of a preconceived notion of how a woman should be. Chirag Dubey (Ayushmann Khurrana) on the contrary wants the same habits ticked in her ideal girl. Yes, Bitti is different for some of us- but for him, she is flawless in her own manner.
Bottling up her emotions for too long, Bitti decides to run away from home. Entering the station, she finds a book “Bareilly ki Barfi” originally written by Chirag for her ex- but like a true lover he changed the name so that his love does not get defamed- and the scapegoat is non-other than Pritam Vidrohi (Rajkummar Rao)
And there it is- Ayushmann’s ex has all the qualities Bitti was admonished for. Now, Bitti is on a hunt for Vidrohi and Chirag cannot reveal his true identity.
Bareilly Ki Barfi is an overall comical, rom-com type of film with an although weak storyline for some but is definitely a must-watch for our inner hopeless-lover selves.
Shubh Mangal Zyada Savdhaan
Kartik Singh (Ayushmann Khurrana) and Aman Tripathi (Jitendra Kumar) are from a middle-class family with their own problems ( to which we can relate as well) What is different, however, is that this is a venture of not jack and jill but jack and johnny.
The sensitive issue of homosexuality is portrayed wonderfully and precisely; still, the movie will make you laugh at some points as well.
Ayushmann Khurrana has nailed his character as well with Neena Gupta on his side. Jitendra, however, glows too and doesn’t allow other actors to overpower him at all.
“Mere liye tum kaafi ho” in our birthday boy’s voice is one heck of a beautiful song. With his bizarre and different costume style- he slayed that as well.
A funny, beautiful and real attempt at normalising homosexuality, Shubh Mangal Zyada Savdhaan has conversations and demonstrations that will make you rethink your thoughts around sexuality.
Watch it on Amazon Prime, if you haven’t.
Gulabo Sitabo
Starring Ayushmann Khurrana alongside Amitabh Bachhan, the film is set in Lucknow, where Mirza Nawab ( Amitabh Bachhan) now in his 70s life living with his Begum in Fatima Mahal- but alongside a large number of tenants Ayushmann, being one of them.
Mirza is trying all he can to ensure that after his wife succumbs, the haveli will be given to him- fully and entirely. The strength in his will overtakes the weakness in his ageing self- and so starts the journey of Mirza to search for his begum’s ancestors confirming that the property will not be bequeathed to anyone else.
Gulabo Sitabo is for the greedy ones- who will most likely end up with the same habits in their 70s as well. Life is small, and have to be lived to the fullest every day. Gulabo Sitabo takes you on a ride that does not go up or down rather straight towards the reality of life. Greed is a parasite that slowly kills you from inside.
The movie reminded me of a quote from into the wild, “Happiness is only real when it is shared.”
Gulabo Sitabo is available to watch on Amazon Prime.
So, these were four of Ayushmann’s wonderful movies which weren’t praised according to their worth. If you have watched them, then let us know your views about them in the comments section below. If not, then watch it now as they are available on various OTT platforms like Zee5, Netflix and Amazon Prime. And check our entertainment section for more such content.
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