From sperm donors and blind pianists to queer lovers, Ayushmann Khurrana built a Bollywood career by turning the unconventional into mainstream gold. But which is his best movie? Find out!
Key Points
- Ayushmann Khurrana has consistently chosen unconventional roles and projects since his debut in Vicky Donor.
- His filmography includes critically acclaimed and commercially successful movies like Badhaai Ho, Article 15, and Shubh Mangal Saavdhan, which often tackle sensitive social issues.
- Andhadhun is highlighted as a modern-day masterpiece, earning Khurrana a National Award for Best Actor for his extraordinary performance.
Since his debut in 2012’s Vicky Donor, Ayushmann Khurrana has cemented himself as one of the most exciting actors in Indian cinema.
He was not ‘exciting’ simply because he is a good-looking man who can act, sing and even write lyrics well.
The former Roadies contestant felt ‘exciting’ because he consistently broke conventions with his choice of roles and projects.
How many of his contemporaries would choose to play a man suffering from erectile dysfunction? Or a balding man crippled by insecurity? Or an openly queer man desperate for the approval of his lover’s family? Or a freshly inducted vampire who has to fight a werewolf?
And when it was not the role, it was the film itself that screamed ‘different’.
You can mention the example of Badhaai Ho, tackling late-age pregnancy, or Article 15, exploring caste discrimination through the framework of an investigation thriller.
What made these choices even more remarkable was that many of them were also box office successes.
Ayushmann is now gearing up for this week’s big release, Pati Patni Aur Woh Do, the sequel to the 2019 marital comedy Pati Patni Aur Woh.
He plays a cop caught in a marital crisis involving three women, played by Wamiqa Gabbi, Rakul Preet Singh and Sara Ali Khan. Pati Patni Aur Woh Do releases in theatres on March 15, and one hopes it becomes yet another interesting addition to the actor’s wonderfully hatke filmography.
Before his new movie faces the acid test of the audience reception, Sreeju Sudhakaran picks 10 standout films from Ayushmann Khurrana’s unconventional career and ranks them from good to awwal number masterpiece.
10. Chandigarh Kare Aashiqui
Chandigarh Kare Aashiqui casts Ayushmann as a bodybuilder who falls for a charming Zumba instructor, only to discover that she is a trans woman.
While Vaani Kapoor arguably had the riskier role, the story is largely told through the male protagonist’s perspective, charting his uncomfortable but necessary journey through prejudice, insecurity and acceptance. That is done in a very engaging manner and Director Abhishek Kapoor even smoothly transitions genres to switch to sports drama in the climax.
Both actors are fabulous here, and their chemistry is absolutely sizzling.
Yet Vaani’s casting itself creates a strange paradox. For a film passionately advocating trans identity and representation, choosing a cisgender actress for the role does feel somewhat ironic.
Perhaps we still are not as progressive as we imagine ourselves to be.
9. Shubh Mangal Saavdhan
A remake of the Tamil hit Kalyana Samayal Saadham, R S Prasanna’s Shubh Mangal Saavdhan did something rarely attempted by mainstream Hindi entertainers at the time: Address bedroom troubles with sensitivity.
While the film remains largely light-hearted, it handles ‘gent’s problem’ with surprising maturity and without slipping into crudeness.
Despite sharing the same director and premise as the Tamil original, the Hindi adaptation develops its own quirky identity.
That works both for and against the remake.
The plus side is its distinct flavour. The downside is the chaotic climax, which also happens to be the least funny portion of the film.
It was also lovely to see Ayushmann Khurrana and Bhumi Pednekar reunite onscreen and prove that their sparkling chemistry from their first collaboration remained intact. More on that film later.
8. Dream Girl
Raaj Shaandilyaa’s Dream Girl is not exactly pathbreaking cinema, but it knows precisely how to get the job done. The humour remains consistently entertaining through most of the runtime, whether through witty dialogues or visual gags.
Ayushmann is a riot as the down-on-luck, cross-gender drama artiste who finds success as a female phone operator, while Annu Kapoor and Vijay Raaz are equally hilarious in supporting roles.
Sure, the momentum dips towards the end, Nushrratt Bharuccha’s role feels underwritten, and the climax lands with a whimper, but otherwise this remains a thoroughly fun entertainer.
Sadly, the same cannot be said about the 2023 sequel that was terrible with only a few half-amusing jokes.
7. Bareilly Ki Barfi
Ayushmann Khurrana arguably has the more ‘conventional’ male lead role in Ashwiny Iyer Tiwari’s light-hearted entertainer, complete with a romantic arc. Yet it is not exactly a scene-stealing character. That honour goes elsewhere.
For nearly three-fourths of the film, his character is difficult to like because of his bullying tendencies. Yet in many ways, Bareilly Ki Barfi becomes a coming-of-age journey for him, as he gradually evolves into someone more empathetic and emotionally aware. Thankfully, that transformation works very well to ensure we root for the love track’s happy ending.
Bareilly Ki Barfi itself remains undeniably entertaining and funny, powered by solid performances from Ayushmann, Kriti Sanon, Pankaj Tripathi and Seema Pahwa.
Still, if there was one actor who truly walked away with the film, it was Rajkummar Rao with a chameleonic act.
6. Badhaai Ho
For a Malayali viewer like me, the basic premise of Badhaai Ho might evoke memories of Mohanlal’s Pavithram.
Both films deal with late-age pregnancy, though the subject occupies very different emotional spaces within each narrative.
Unlike the more serious Pavithram, Badhaai Ho embraces whimsy and warmth. The first half is riotously funny, especially in the way the family reacts to the parents’ unexpected pregnancy. The second half turns more emotional, but never enough to derail the film’s delightful tone.
The movie also possesses tremendous repeat value with the wonderful performances from Ayushmann, Neena Gupta, Gajraj Rao, Sanya Malhotra and Sheeba Chaddha helping the cause.
5. An Action Hero
It still feels heartbreaking that Anirudh Iyer’s debut film An Action Hero did not receive the audience it deserved upon release.
The movie was slickly produced, the critics loved it, the cast was in superb form, and the film even featured a delightful cameo by Akshay Kumar.
Unfortunately, it arrived during that uncertain post-pandemic phase when audiences were still selective about theatrical outings. Regardless of where you watched it, the film is impossible to resist.
A darkly comic thriller about a superstar forced to go on the run after accidentally causing the death of a politician’s brother, An Action Hero is relentlessly entertaining. Ayushmann and Jaideep Ahlawat are magnificent together, and the film keeps unveiling surprises till its riveting final act.
Easily one of Bollywood’s best dark comedies in recent years.
4. Vicky Donor
Ayushmann Khurrana and Yami Gautam burst into Bollywood with Shoojit Sircar’s refreshingly mature comedy about a young man who secretly works as a sperm donor. Credit must also go to Producer John Abraham for backing such an unconventional script.
The premise felt wildly ahead of its time, and Ayushmann immediately announced himself as a natural comic talent alongside the splendid Annu Kapoor.
Meanwhile, Yami Gautam effortlessly graduated from charming audiences in Fair & Lovely ads to winning hearts onscreen with her lovely smile while being serenaded in the Paani Da Rang song sequence.
The film eventually won three National Awards, including Best Popular Film Providing Wholesome Entertainment, Best Supporting Actor for Annu Kapoor and Best Supporting Actress for Dolly Ahluwalia.
3. Dum Laga Ke Haisha
Dum Laga Ke Haisha belongs to that sweet, grounded brand of Hindi cinema that feels increasingly rare today.
Directed by Sharat Katariya, the film launched Bhumi Pednekar in a heart-winning fashion. Ironically, while understandable, her later real-life physical transformation somewhat undercuts the very body positivity the film championed.
The small-town atmosphere feels authentic, with the cast delivering performances that balance realism and humour beautifully. Ayushmann’s character is flawed, but the film carefully explains where his insecurities stem from.
His embarrassment over having a ‘healthier’ wife comes not from cruelty alone, but from social conditioning and the suffocating fear of ‘log kya kahenge’.
And honestly, any film blessed with a song as beautiful as Moh Moh Ke Dhaage deserves love.
2. Article 15
Anubhav Sinha’s Article 15 remains one of the most important mainstream Hindi films of recent years. Rarely does commercial Bollywood tackle caste politics so directly, particularly when the issue continues to remain painfully relevant across the country.
What makes the film even more compelling is how it wraps its social commentary within a gripping investigative thriller inspired by real-life incidents.
Article 15 is packed with powerful scenes and dialogues that linger long after the credits roll, especially its final moments that cautiously hold onto hope.
Yes, the film was criticised for its ‘white saviour’ approach through Ayushmann’s upper-caste cop protagonist, but one suspects Sinha’s intention was to argue that empathy and decency can emerge from any section of society.
The performances are also exceptional across the board, particularly from Ayushmann, Manoj Pahwa, Kumud Mishra, Sayani Gupta and Mohammed Zeeshan Ayyub.
1. Andhadhun
Did you honestly expect anything else to top this list? Based on the French short film L’Accordeur, Sriram Raghavan’s Andhadhun is indubitably Bollywood at its most thrillingly inventive, a modern-day masterpiece.
Ayushmann is extraordinary as the pianist who pretends to be blind to sharpen his artistic abilities, only to become trapped in a deadly web of lies and murder when trying to keep up his ruse. Tabu is equally sensational as the femme fatale trying desperately to cover up an (accidental) murder and then eliminate an (accidental) witness.
The screenplay constantly blindsides (no pun intended) the viewer with twists, revealing massive secrets surprisingly early and then continuing to escalate the chaos. Its ambiguous ending continues to spark debates even today.
Ayushmann Khurrana eventually won the National Award for Best Actor for his performance here, sharing the honour with Vicky Kaushal for Uri: The Surgical Strike.
Photographs curated by Satish Bodas/Rediff
