Khurrana Ayushmann - Cracking the code : my journey to Bollywood

AYUSHMANN KHURRANA is an award-winning Indian film actor, singer and television anchor whose debut film, Vicky Donor, was critically acclaimed and a huge commercial success.

TAHIRA KASHYAP is a professor of mass communication and journalism in Mumbai and the author of two books. She also writes and directs plays in Chandigarh, her hometown.

Published by

Rupa Publications India Pvt. Ltd 2015

7/16, Ansari Road, Daryaganj

New Delhi 110002

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Copyright Ayushmann Khurrana and Tahira Kashyap 2015

The views and opinions expressed in this book are the authors own and the facts are as reported by them which have been verified to the extent possible, and the publishers are not in any way liable for the same.

All rights reserved.

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Dedication

Contents

Prologue

DO YOU WANT to be rich? Do you want to be famous? Do you want to be successful? If the answer is yes, then quit reading the book right away. But if you are lazy, easily bored or have some time to kill, read on

I want to begin this book with utmost honesty. And let me assure you that this isnt an attempt to be pompous, vain or preachy. I have read quite a few books written by legends and can safely say that this is perhaps the most un-legendary (thats not even a word, by the way) stuff to be published so far. All I can assure you is that there is nothing in here that is going to be pretentious.

Considering the fact that you have read this far, let me just say that wealth, fame and success are qualities that are relative. For some, being the top industrialist is all about being rich; for others, making it to Forbes Most Powerful list is the ultimate degree of being successful; while for someone else, having the best confectionary shop (for example) in their own small city is the definition of success.

But what is that one secret longing that unites you and me? What is that fantasy we all (or at least most of the readers who have picked up this book) have nurtured? Its the love of the stage. The love of Bollywood. Its about being an actor, wanting to become an actor, choosing your own acting niche, aspiring for the stage. Its about being in awe of the lights, the camera and the action, wanting to be labelled as a nautanki, to be called a dramebaaz, yearning for people to acknowledge the hero or the heroine in you, and no matter how derogatory it sounds, but liking it when someone refers to you as an actor saala.

And this is precisely what I was born to be. This is what I am today. This is what I want to share with you and this is what I see in the people who have, time and again, reached out to me through SMS, Whatsapp, email, Facebook, Twitter or through snail mail; some of you even stalked me for it. This is my way of saying thank you to the one who helped me tread the path to being an actor; the path that has some rules to it, the journey that has a definite pattern, the destiny that awaits those who recognize these codes.

Again, its a personal opinion. For those seeking nirvana, what Im saying could be nonsensical or trashy gyaan. But for the mango people, I hope this makes sense. So my question here is, how badly do you want be an actor? Do you have it in you to become one? Did you always want to be on stage? Do you dream of looking at your movies poster being splashed around the city? Do you want to be the one who is chased for autographs and photographs? Do you want to be nominated and awarded for your acting prowess? Looking at others, do you get troubled by thoughts like why not me or wish I was there? Or you mutter to yourself: Isse accha toh main hi kar lun, bas chance hi nahi mila, or even Ayushmann, saala lucky bastard!

Sure thing, but then how did this lucky bastard became the talk of the town? Was it luck, karma, or was there a code? Im not trying to sound pompous here, but as I sit back to reminisce upon the story of my journey so far, I think I recognize a pattern. A code of sorts, that applied to me at a sub-conscious level. It applying at a sub-conscious level could be termed as either karma or luck. But its existence is certainly not by chance. Its definitely out there. We just need to reach out for it. And, hopefully, after reading this book, your approach to it would be at a more conscious level. It may sound abstract or even frivolous at this moment, but then there are still many of us who find Maslows laws a waste of time, Einsteins theories a fluke and Shakespearean plays a result of a whimsical mind.

I am not saying that this book has foolproof formulas to becoming successful. But these are palpable codes that will make you receptive to success the way these cryptographic signals helped me attain the however modest position I am at today. These codes are no rocket science. This is just my story so far.

So, I ask you simply, chance chahiye kya? If the answer is yes, then this is the book to read. Of course, I cant assure you that youll become the next Amitabh Bachchan or Shah Rukh Khan after reading this book. This is my humble attempt to share my journey, my anecdotes, my experiences, my codes that have helped me become an actor. Success, wealth and fame, like I said before, are relative. Many of you reading this might consider my attempt too ambitious, for I might not be as rich, as famous and as successful as many in and outside the film industry. Then again, this book is not meant for those evolved few, as this wasnt my aim. My dream, hope, desire, passion was always to become an actor and thats what I am today. And I hope some of you reading this book can relate to what I have to say, as I believe that you, like me, want to become an actor, first and foremost. The riches, the success and the fame, I say, would eventually follow. So lets get cracking the code.

IT HAPPENED FOR the first time with Channel (V)s show, Popstars. True, it was just casual flirting. There wasnt any commitment from my side and the fidelity was jerky on the other end, too. And none of us felt crummy about it not working out. At least, not back then.

It was the year 2002; I was all of seventeen, in the second year of college pursuing English Honours Never in my wildest dreams had I imagined that I would be selected as one of the top thirty singers in our country and one amongst the three selected from Chandigarh for Popstars Season 2. My first brush with fame taught me a lot. And here is where, when I think in retrospect, I discovered one of the many codes that life taught me.

The auditions were happening at Hotel Mountview, Chandigarh, where I stood sweating for my turn for three hours that felt like a decade. But when I entered the venue, I could sense a vibea vibe that gave me the confidence, a vibe that didnt make my knees knock, my teeth chatter or my voice tremble. I knew something good was about to happen.