I've become numb to both success and failure: Ayushmann Khurrana

Ayushmann Khurrana chats up with Tellychakkar.com on being a father all over again, and trying to balance a home in Chandigarh with a career in Bollywood. Read on… Ghar mein laxmi aayee hai...mubarak ho? Thanks. We’ve named our daughter Varushka. The name was selected by my wife Tahira because our son is called Virajveer. And my wife wanted a name for our girl with a ‘V’. It’s an interesting-sounding name. It has an Indian right to and yet sounds very cosmopolitan. Virajveer and Varushka will continue to live in Chandigarh with their mother? Yes. My wife Tahira has a career and life in Chandigarh which I can’t ask her to give up for my selfish reasons. Besides, I am shooting out of Mumbai most of the time. So where’s the purpose of them being in Mumbai? My wife travelled with me to my outdoor shootings when she was not pregnant. Since I’m shooting in Mumbai now, they are joining me here. Complete family, good career....are you satisfied? I am happy. It’s all happening too fast. I never thought I’d become a father of 2 in my 20s. But I guess I’ll have more time with my children than others who become fathers in their 30s. My kids can be my friends. Come to think, everything has happened relatively early in my life. I was the first one to get married among my batch mates. And now you’re playing the scientist Shivkar Babuji Talpade in Vibhu Puri’s Hawaizaada? Yes, that’s the one I am shooting right now. It’s a very difficult film to make. Though I play a real-life character there isn’t much material to fall back on. I am back to this very difficult film after completing Yash Raj’s Dum Lagake Haisha. That’s done. That was very quick? Yes, we did it in one 60-day schedule. It’s actually very interesting that I play very educated scientist in Hawaaizaade and a near-illiterate in Dum Lagake Haisha. I play a simpleton who belongs to a shakha. It was quite simple for me to play a simpleton since I am a very simple person in real life. And I’m surrounded by very simple people. My grandfather was also a very simple person. I’ve used his body language. What other preparations to play simple? I was on a vegetarian diet. And I was doing yoga, surya namaskar etc just like the character. In the film I get married to an overweight woman who loves me. But I don’t love her back. She is educated and intelligent. I am not. And you also play a Kumar Sanu fan in Dum Lagake Haisha? Yes, that’s an idea we introduced into the film since the film is set in the 1990s when Kumar Sanu was a major force in the music charts. My character owns an audio-video shop. It’s all very ‘90s. So a huge nostalgia trip for all of us who were growing up back then. I was in school during the 1990s. I remember I used to sing the songs of Phir Teri Kahaani Yaad Aayee for my first girlfriend. When your wife reads this she’ll have a lot to say? Arrey nahin nahin she is aware of all this. You’re also doing Shoojit Sircar’s football film? Yes that will probably start in January 2015. I also have a three-film deal with Yash Raj .So I’ve one more film with them to do? You are being picky? Every actor has to be picky. When I decided to do Dum Lagake Haisha my producer Aditya Chopra was very surprised. He never expected me to pick a role of a simpleton. Every actor wants to be projected as a star. But I loved my role. I love the character. Adi is very proud of me. How close are you to Aditya Chopra? I always like to be at the periphery. I can never be the insider. Having said that I must say my first mentor is Shoojit Sircar, Yash Raj has adopted me. It’s every actor’s wish list to be part of Yash Raj. I’ve grown up watching their films. So now I am very proud to have done two diametrically opposed film for Yash Raj, first Bewakoofiyan now Dum Lagake Haisha. Were you disappointed by the box office performance of Bewakoofiyan? You know, I don’t react that much to either extreme happiness or disappointment. I remain detached from both the conditions. I am quite used to rejections in life. I auditioned for so many films and I was ultimately rejected for. I’ve become numb to both success and failure. I got good reviews for Bewakoofiyan. That was enough for me. I think failure is as important as success. So a sense of satisfaction? It’s very difficult to manage my professional and personal life, what with my constant traveling. Luckily for me my wife realizes this is the beginning of my career and I need to be away a lot. Even more luckily my wife’s parents and mine are in Chandigarh too look after my wife and my children. Does your wife have her fears and uncertainties about you when you are in Mumbai without her? She is very confident of me. I don’t think I can ever give in to temptations. Of course the entertainment industry is filled with temptations. And I am a normal guy. But you have to know where to draw the line. I keep myself too busy to think about temptations. I work out every day. I do my riyaaz every day. I hardly get time to sleep What plans as a singer? Lots of plans. I am singing two songs in Hawaaizaade. I have done a version of Ghalib’s Dil-e-nadaan in the film. You’ve heard many versions of the famous lines. This would be the most hummable version. I am making sure it’d be the most popular version of the lines. I am not singing in Dum Lagake Haisha. Kumar Sanu is. I think that’s awesome. Music continues to be an abiding passion? That’s what sets me apart from the other actors from my generation.