We wanted a fresh face for `Vicky Donor`: Shoojit Sircar

New Delhi: Director Shoojit Sircar, whose third outing Vicky Donor is all set for release, says VJ-turned-actor Ayushmann Khurana was the perfect choice to play the lead in the romantic comedy.

The director said that he and debutante producer John Abraham were bent on casting a fresh face in the role of a Punjabi cricket player, instead of approaching stars like Shahid or Ranbir Kapoor. "Since the very beginning John and I were sure that we would get a fresh face for the film. We wanted to bring in a fresh actor who would bring on a smile with his very appearance and I didn`t want any excess baggage that would have to be removed off an established star. "Moreover both John and I like Ayushmann as a person. He was the best choice for the film and audience reaction to him just on the basis of promos is a testimony of that," Shoojit told reporters. The audience reaction is quite massive for Annu Kapoor as well who, as Dr Chaddha, is seemingly a riot himself in the film. "There are a very few actors who can pull off a character like `Chadha` from Daryaganj, Delhi. A character like this needs to be played quite carefully and Annu Kapoor just fits the bill," Shoojit said. The director said that he had considered actors like Om Puri and Paresh Rawal for Dr Chadha`s role. "We did think of these actors and for that matter Pankaj Kapoor as well. They are all of course fine actors but Annu suits the role best. It is a clear reinvention of sorts for him and I can proudly say that we are reintroducing him with this film." Shoojit, whose debut film ‘Yahaan’ created quite a few ripples, said ‘Vicky Donor’, with its unique subject of sperm donation, would be a landmark film in Bollywood. "It would be a landmark film for sure. This kind of subject is absolutely new for the Indian audience and we have made the film just the way it should have been," he said. Categorically denying that the film is suitable only for adults, Shoojit also said that ‘Vicky Donor’ is a high on content and won`t revel on adult jokes or any double meaning dialogues. "I will never make a film that is crass or slapstick; that`s not my style. The humour quotient in the film too is as real as it gets with nothing forced. There was a thin line we created while writing the film and we did not cross it. Whether it is audio or visual content, nothing would make audience from any age group squirm in their seats. The film is a very straight portrait of real life characters and there won`t be anything repulsive on display here," he said. PTI