Warrior mindset or pure indulgence, Ayushmann Khurrana reveals how he approaches his films

Mumbai, Oct 27 (IANS) Bollywood Ayushmann Khurrana, who delivered the biggest opener of his career with 'Thamma', has shared how he approaches his roles.

The actor spoke with IANS after the film's release as he celebrated its success. When asked if he chooses his films with a warrior mentality or to indulge in the subject of the film, he paused and said, "It's a mix of both. I'm quite ambitious when it comes to my work. I also want to be consistent when it comes to the merit of the film. I'm glad that my success ratio is one of the best in the industry as far as the hit ratio is concerned. At the same time, I'm also a purist as an artist. It's a very thin line I'm treading, being a purist and yet having a commercial mindset which is a lot of fun".

He told IANS, "I love doing films which are unique and which strike a conversation, and also clutter breakers. So, I'm a risk taker. I just have fun as an artiste and that's how I always wanted to be".

Earlier, the actor had said that the film was “tailor-made” for him. ‘Thamma’ raked in INR 25 crore nett on its opening day, and also marked a major departure for the actor in terms of his boy next door image as an actor where he largely essays relatable characters from the heart of India. ‘Thamma’ tells a larger-than-life mythical story of a vampire.

The actor earlier told IANS, “I really feel that ‘Thamma’ was tailor-made for me because I have done these realistic characters, flawed characters and that's why the transition is all the more fun because people have not seen me as somebody who is alpha, who is powerful, good with action”.

Directed by Aditya Sarpotdar and produced under Maddock Films, ‘Thamma’ was released on 21 October 2025 during the Diwali weekend. The film stars Ayushmann Khurrana as a timid journalist who becomes entangled with a mysterious vampiric being, played by Rashmika Mandanna, amidst the myth-filled world of Betals. The film is a part of the established horror-comedy universe (MHCU) but leans more into romance and fantasy than straight horror.

--IANS

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