Ayushmann Khurrana wants to play real characters, not hero types

Mumbai: VJ-turned-actor Ayushmann Khurrana, who made a successful Bollywood debut with `Vicky Donor`, wants to play realistic characters onscreen and not the typical hero.

Ayushmann will be seen next in Rohan Sippy`s directorial venture `Nautanki Saala`. Theatre being the backdrop of the film, the lead actors - Ayushmann and Kunal - will be dressed up as `nautanki walas`, donning the traditional attire of folk drama artistes. "The best part is all the roles that I am playing are real or close to reality. I have done theatre so I could relate to the character in `Nautanki Saala`," Ayushmann told reporters. Ayushmann will next star opposite Sonam Kapoor in Yash Raj Films` untitled romantic comedy set in Delhi. This fun-filled satire has been written by `Ishaqzaade` director Habib Faisal and will be directed by Nupur Asthana. "It is a love story in the times of recession and I play a guy who is hit by recession. It is a Habib Faisal kind of film, very real," the actor said. Even before his first film `Vicky Donor` hit cinema houses, Ayushmann had managed to impress John Abraham, who signed him for his next home production `Hamara Bajaj`. The film will be directed by Shoojit Sircar and will have Ayushmann playing the role of a young man called Sanjay Bajaj, who is a struggling actor. "I have Shoojit Sircar`s film `Hamara Bajaj` where I play a tourist who wants to be an actor. So that is also real. The best part is I am getting to play real characters. I don`t want to try and become a hero or somebody performing out of scale. I would prefer to be real and subtle in films," he said. From being a contestant on a TV reality show to a host and now to being an actor, the `Vicky Donor` star feels today the transition for those coming from television to films has become relatively easy. Ayushmann shot to fame with the second season of reality show `MTV Roadies` in 2004 where he emerged the winner. Thereafter, he completed his studies and took up a job as a radio jockey in Delhi, and later hosted quite a few shows for MTV, reality shows like `India`s Got Talent` and `Just Dance` and several award functions. He was a presenter for Extra Innings T20 (IPL), season three. "Things have changed for me as an actor. We are living in an era where transition from TV to films is easy. I have made it quite successfully. I was around for four years, anchoring shows, taking interviews, watching the industry as an outsider. It is a nice shift, it is ironical," Ayushmann said. "It is great that people have started respecting television or TV actors. This year more TV actors will be seen in films like Sushant Singh Rajput, Manish and others. It is a nice thing. It is a nice symbiotic relation between TV and films," he said. `Nautanki Saala` is slated to be release on April 12 this year. PTI