Ayushmann Khurrana contends that his upcoming romcom, the Ashwiny Iyer Tiwari-directed Bareilly Ki Barfi, is the most commercial film he's ever been a part of because of its “crazy wedding dance sequences“ and an ensemble cast also featuring Rajkummar Rao, Kriti Sanon, Pankaj Tripathy and Seema Pahwa. Produced by Junglee Pictures and BR Studios, the film opens on August 18.

In a similar vein, the 32-year-old actor-singer, whose highlight reel boasts of hits like Vicky Donor and Dum Laga Ke Haisha, also reveals that his turn in the film as wise guy Chirag is quite the bully. “I loved the script because Ashwiny incorporates details in a story subtly. It's beautiful and a different experience for me because I have always played sweet, simple boys on screen. In this film, I'm patting Bitti's (Kriti Sanon) head, bullying her, teasing her and making her do all the work. It's all a farce because Chirag is actually trying hard to woo her,“ he says, also waxing eloquent about Rajkummar. “He's a great actor with a spark“.

Ayushmann who has recorded the reprised version of “Nazm Nazm“ which chronicles his character falling in love with Bitti, further reveals that all the romance is reserved for the audience. With wife, Tahira Kashyap, with whom he has two kids - Varushka and Virajveer - he's a lot more practical and logic-oriented. “I'm consumed by romance as an artist. If not for a film, I'm romancing the audience on stage as a singer and performer. So, I'm more of an on-screen romantic,“ he says, quick to add, “But I'm a sucker for old-school romance. I believe in hand-written notes. They're so personal.“

On Tuesday, the actor retweeted a post, “I wish Haruki Murakami would write the rest of my life.“ When told that even an acclaimed surrealist like the Japanese writer would find it difficult to change his squeaky-clean image, Ayushmann laughs and concurs that his personal life is pretty uneventful, devoid of bar brawls and controversies to fill the pages of a biography. “Three years ago, I was in London for a concert and Murakami had a lecture the next day around the same time that I was leaving. I had to miss it and its one of my life's biggest regrets. I know I'll meet him one day. There's always a woman in his books who vanishes only to appear again. He describes her from her fingernails to her earlobes. If you ask me, he's the truest romantic!“ the actor signs off with a flourish.