In college
I was in all boys college
there we had our own 'gay club'
they invited me as a guest of honour
like we want to invite you
sing for us
we find you really cute
so why don't you just come
and sing for us
entertain us
Absolutely. This is one is for
the boomer generation
like in that generation people are
truly very conservative
there you have to make them understand
they say this is not natural or normal
How will the dynasty proceed
So you don't just live to make babies
So for the first step at least
Homosexuality has been decommunize
further marriages will take place
So there is no chance of adorption
there are more ten things
there is no civil rights
there are basic human rights issue
If two people want to live their life
with their own wish
what is your problem
There are actors today
breaking the stereotypes
and there's one person
who is making his own new stereotypes
Ayushman Khurrana
and we have Jitendra Kumar
who as been a huge
huge phenomenon on the
digital platform
making his debut with this film
Subh mangal zyada saavdhan
and we have both of them
joining us together for
a fun conversation
only on PINKVILLA
You know I have to tell you first
that the promo is outstanding
okay
when you are talking about the
subject like this
and it has to be tweeted in humorous manner
because previously whatever movies came
it has been little serious
like even when you see
Ek ladki, which I really loved
but it was not really funny
as comical or hilarious as this one
Do you think
that this kind of a subject
for it to penitrate that audience which is
it needs to. Needed this kind of humour
Absolutely
the idea is to reach out those people who
are Homophobes
Ya
That's a target audience
This is not for those
who is always
like who are with the LGBT community
we are going to reach out those people
who are against homo sexuality
If our films reaches there
It will be a huge victory for us
what about you
Yes. I think that in film
Humour was very necessary
and
this not an additional humour
It is a natural reaction
it reaches to people through this news
with current Indian situation
This kind of reaction
This is showed in film
and
that is why it look little funny
But all these things were normal and real
in film
So they wanted an entertainer to this topic
and they are getting it now
You know love is love
and we are celebrating it today
and it's taken India long
long time to actually accept it
with you coming on a bandwagon
you know previously there were
there were so many times when
Karan Johar on record saying that
when he tried casting for Fawad Khan's
role in Kapoor and Sons
which was very
subdue
suttle
tribute to homo sexuality
but his character was very suttle
many big actors had said no to the film
you know
today when A list actors come
it becomes more mainstream right
Do you think it needed an
Ayushman Khurrana to come and
speak about it
Because I don't know
how many other people
would have actually done it
It just gives you more
reach
If you get
like a bankable actor
for this subject
it gives you better reach
it makes you penitrate more
specially BNC centers
where people are
they are still averse
to idea
Ya
to the idea
they are not open
that's only thing
like if you are ofcourse
you are taking new comers
than I think first it will become
Big amount film first and reach will slow down
So it really helps, Ofcourse
not new comers
even established actors
they are not really
they are not really open to doing it
did you see that
How many times
How many people actually came up
and
you know not maybe asked you to
not do it but
how many times people made frown
when you said that
you are doing this film
as if a lot of people, Ofcourse
there were lot of people
and I told them there's a kissing scene
also in this film
So they were like
Oh My God are you serious
I said yes
But how will you noramalize it
you have to normalize this
why don't you see PDA in same genders
like in India. You see that abroad
I was shooting for Dream Girl
and I saw this two guys
kissing in the parking
I was shooting late night in one
mall in Bombay
I was like India is ready for this
we should go for it
and
that's what we went for it
this is very important
cracks of a
it's a love story
more than anything else it's
also reaction of the family
that is happening between these two boys
what is happening
family is getting entry
they are getting worried
specially middle class family
they don't understand what's happening
and
this is where humours come out in film
So it's a very entertaining family film
when you are making your debut
in bollywood
I am sure these are the concerns people
must have said
It's your first film. Why are you doing this
people must have said it
because it all comes from
pre conditioning that I think we all have
in the country
I think
thankfully
people I am friends with
I never got concern from them
I was told that hear the script once
and look your role
Is it good and all
how is it placed
defiently got to here all this things
But no such concerns where
what topic is the film about
thankfully it didn't come to me
So I'm very thankfull
Ayushman, when you started of
you started with the film like Vicky Donar
Today if Vicky Donar had released
it would had done almost triple the numbers
that it did. But it was still a successful
film back then
So India was just getting open to
those kind of films
Today you have become torchbearer
of such fimls
Today John Abraham goes and says
we can't do such films because such movies
doesn't come to me. Because Ayushman
takes away
and such films goes to Ayushman only
How do you feel
it's a position of previlege
and it's also position of honour
that people are giving you in industry
today
That if it's Ayushman there is something
different
It feels great my friend
Ofcouse it also gives you like pressure that
you have to
you know live upto people's expectations
your own expectations also
but
having said that gives you the courage
gives you the courage that you should
pick up the subjects that are quirky
that edgy and that are radical
which are like first attempt in hindi cinema
and
I am .. I am ready for it
it's like a validation
so it gives you
It makes you more ballzy I think
Does it also help when you have a successful
track record with such films
if one movie from it does not work
the first one
you think you would have attempted it
or would your entire ontrologs be
okay with you attempting
now see I'll alway try to do something
different
then it work or does't work
either I will win or learn
one can happen out of two
I think failures are great
learing curves I think
what I learned from my failure
I couldn't learn that from my success
So It's .. It's fine
If your film doesn't do well
I think it will teach you something
but the idea is to do different things
you know to both of you
how do you treat male gays towards you
and has it ever happen when a man
has hit on you and you realise
or you not realise.
how you react it to it
I think sometimes it happens that
the friends you have
become very close to you
then they open to you
that they feel more than friends to you
then it becomes a little awkward situation
because I'm a straight forward man.
then I politely tell them
that no I don't feel the same
for me it's a friendship
but yes for them it becomes
little bit disappointing
But yes even they understand about this
So this has happened many times with me
But everything is managable
what about you
with me
it has happen
Ofcourse it has happened with me
in college
I was in all boys college
There used to our one gay club
So they invited me as a guest of honour
like we want to invite you .. sing for us
we find you really cute
so why don't you come and sing for us
and entertain us
So I was torn
I said Sir I can't do this
means I am ... I am very scared
I can't .. I can't
I just can't
So I was like border line over phobic
that time
you know
and times have changed
the society has changed
have evolved so much as a society
and ...... than
that was in Chandigarh
in 2004 or 2005
went out of Chandigarh
went to Delhi
met many people there
I made good gay friends
in Bombay also lot of people from
the community
So your awareness, your evolution
was right there
So now I'm like the flagbearer of
a LGBT community in Bollywood
now we are doing this film
Subh Mangal Zyada Saavdhan
Now I feel like I was mad that time
what
But the thing is
this is the potential
human potential everbody has
true
If I can see that transformation
If I can see that great change in me
then rest of the people who are
homophobes in 2020
they also have the potential
true
they can also be open
this film is for those
who now are against homosexual
But has it ever happen when you felt that
you were being too homophobic towards
anybody
Um. No
But when first time
when I was around 15-16 years
So I came to know about
that there something like gay
means their sexual tendency
when I was around 15-16 years
So I took it as an information
and at that time
you are studying reproduction in books
I felt amazed to not find it in books
means if you have put such sexual things
in a books
So why not this things
Exactly
So I was amazed that way
But I took at all as an information
I have never been homophobic
But you know something that is
wonderful with you is
that you just accept that
one point you were homophobic
I feel people who have been
and who still are
won't even realize that they are being
homophobic towards people
and their tendencies differ
but also what comes is that you know
people talk about molestation
when women come about and speak
A lot of times you know
men also goes through that
and I think most of us have
gone through the same
when we kids or we were much younger
but do you think that men
the fear of not speaking up
also works there
Has it ever happen when you have also
gone through something
where you couldn't even speak up
No
fortunately No
But do you think the fear works there
as well like you said
Ofcourse
fear of not speaking up
Ya fear is everywhere
could be like even from
like somebody who is your senior
who's a female also
that fear comes from everywhere
It's not a gender specific
you know another thing that is
very progressive in the film is
the fact that Meena Gupta
is very accepting
and you show that
eventually she has the
and the Gajraj Sir's one dialogue
Mother has heart and we all go with quail
so you know we do see that often
Dad's are little against it
even in Ek ladki
or maybe any other film that we show
Honestly speaking
I
I think this is a very progressive way
of showing the modern Indian family
specially I do agree with the fact
that women and mother's are
a little more liberal and
a little more progressive
Because my mother watched the trailor
and
she I don't know if it is progressive or
she is like
this is what should happen
firstly, girls and boys are going mad
everybody getting married
to handle this
see I can't handle your dad
and your dad can't handle me
should be like this only
girls should get married to girls
boys should get marry to boys
this is what's she said
and she you know at her age
I was just asking her
If people her age will be comfortable
watching a film like this
she said I think I will be
very comfortable
does that give you a sense of validation
when something like this comes
from a age group like that
Absolutely
This one is for the boomer generation
like in that generation
truly people are really very conservative
there you have to make them understand
that say no it is not natural
it is not normal
How will the dynasty proceed
So you don't just live only to make babies
you know there are lot of
hetro sexual couples
who don't want to produce kids
what is the problem in it
But yes for the first step that at least
homo sexuality has been decommunilize
marriages will take place in future
you can't even adopt
there are more ten things
there is no civil rights
So there is basic human rights issue
if people wants to live their life
what is your problem
You should not have any problem
it's okay you live with
your girlfriend
or your boyfriend
they want to live with their
girlfriend or boyfriend
what is the issue
live your life
what about you
How do you
your parents
do you see the change in
their perception
I think so
they
when we were 15-16 years old
we go through such sexual tentendies
and we get the information
that how reproduction takes place
to us they always informed one natural thing
and one un -natural thing was informed
and to them
to my parents
it's been 40 years hearing this
that this is un-natural
and than after 40 years
you try explaining them that
this one natural love
So they face a little problem
who ever person
But the special thing about my family is that
they are bit open minded
because many unexpected things happen
in their life
and they have to accept them
So I think
They will get shock if
someone goes and tell them
Even when they see my trailer like this
and see me while I kiss
they will get little shock
but after a point
they are very
they are accepting somehow
So that is a good thing for me
that whenever I have seen them
In life
I told them about my unexpected things
or given them
they have openly came
means they have heard me
which is nice
How have your family reacted to the trailer
and the kiss
like you said that there's lots of people
were shocked when you told them
that there's a kiss in the film
How has your family reacted
because Taira actually I know
she is the coolest
Ya
So is Aparsh
So how have they reacted
and how your mother and father reacted
they were really proud of me friend
they were like very good
this film should be filmed
and ofcourse
they always expect something new from me
so I told them
I was actually looking for a film
on homo sexuality
and before it came to the for
before that I was looking for it
that homo sexuality should also be
a commercial film
Thankfully I got this