Ayushmann Khurrana on the subject of his next Bala, where he is playing a man who is balding prematurely
Rachana Dubey (BOMBAY TIMES; July 24, 2019)

Ayushmann Khurrana is currently romancing the city of Nawabs, Lucknow. He’s shooting Shoojit Sircar’s Gulabo Sitabo with Amitabh Bachchan, which is the third film he’s shooting in Uttar Pradesh in the last four months. Prior to this, he shot director Amar Kaushik’s Bala there, which wrapped up earlier this month. The social drama revolves around a man who is balding prematurely and how he copes with it. The film also narrates the story of his relationship with two women, played by Yami Gautam and Bhumi Pednekar.

When BT caught up with the actor recently, he had told us, “I had fun shooting for Bala. Yami and Bhumi have been an essential part of my career. I started my Hindi film journey with Yami (Vicky Donor) and was Bhumi’s first male co-star (Dum Laga Ke Haisha). In a way, I’m the common factor in both their Bollywood debuts. The subject of the film is relevant and topical. I mean, no one had ever thought that receding hairline in the 30s can have so many issues attached to it. I don’t know how we got away without looking at this subject for so many years. I’ve been part of movies that have dealt with subjects like sperm donation and erectile dysfunction, but this subject is literally in your face. With this film, the idea is to question the definition of beauty that we are conditioned to accept.”

It’s learnt that the actor plays a semi-bald character. When asked what his reaction was when he first saw himself in the mirror with this look, Ayushmann laughed and said, “I think I looked semi-bald and beautiful! That’s the point that we’re trying to drive home — whether you’re semi-bald or fully bald, you are still beautiful. You have to feel great about yourself. If you don’t do that, no one will ever believe that you’re beautiful.”