'National
Award
Is
A
Perfect
Validation
Of
The
Fact
That
My
Choices
Have
Been
Right'
Q.
Firstly
congratulations
Ayushmann
for
your
National
Award
win.
It's
a
huge
achievement
for
you.
So
now
from
here,
how
to
you
plan
to
take
your
career
ahead?
Do
you
feel
any
pressure?
A.
It's
a
very
happy
pressure
and
responsibility
that
I
have
right
now.
National
Award
is
a
perfect
validation
of
the
fact
that
my
choices
have
been
right.
So,
I
don't
want
to
think
about
any
thing
else
and
change
my
formula
of
the
way
of
thinking
or
approach
towards
scripts.
I
want
to
keep
the
basics
right.
I
don't
have
to
get
overwhelmed
the
name
of
the
director,
producer
or
co-actor
or
the
periphery
around
it.
I
want
to
go
with
the
material
and
script.
Q.
Post
the
National
Award
win
and
five
hits
in
a
row,
do
you
feel
there
is
any
change
in
the
perception
of
people
around
you
about
you?
A.
I
just
want
to
try
different
things.
I
am
not
thinking
about
the
five
back-to-back
hits
or
successes.
For
me,
'Dream
Girl' is
very
different
for
my
filmography.
It's
the
most
masala
and
commercial
film
which
I
have
ever
done.
Generally,
I
have
played
subtlety
in
my
films.
But
in
this
one,
I
am
gone
all
out.
It's
actually
an
ode
to
the
90s
brand
of
comedy.
I
have
taken
the
Govinda
out
of
me.
(laughs)
'I
Am
Very
Detached
As
An
Actor'
Q.
Did
'Dream
Girl'
have
any
influence
in
your
personal
life?
A.
My
films
have
never
affected
my
personal
life.
I
don't
take
my
characters
back
home.
I
am
very
detached
as
an
actor.
I
don't
watch
my
films
more
than
once
or
else,
I
might
fall
in
love
with
myself.
(laughs).
Q.
Do
you
detach
yourself
from
the
success
as
well
that
easily?
Right
now,
you
are
considered
to
be
one
of
the
most
successful
actors
in
the
industry.
How
do
you
manage
to
stay
grounded
despite
all
this?
In
fact,
there
are
people
who
even
compared
you
with
the
Khans.
A.
It
would
be
unfair
to
compare.
The
new-age
actors
will
have
to
spend
at
least
25
years
in
the
industry
and
give
consistent
hits.
There's
no
comparisons.
'I
Go
With
My
Gut
Feeling'
Q.
What
is
your
criteria
when
you
green-lit
a
film?
A.
I
don't
take
anybody's
advice.
I
go
with
my
gut
feeling.
My
wife
and
my
manager
read
the
script.
That's
about
it.
When
it
comes
to
script
selection,
I
keep
my
basics
right.
It
has
to
be
an
absolutely
fresh
concept
for
Indian
cinema.
Secondly,
the
concept
has
to
last
for
two
hours
and
should
be
able
to
hold
the
audience's
attention
for
that
period.
Thirdly,
it
needs
to
have
some
value
addition.
Q.
'Dream
Girl' is
your
most
commercial
film.
Having
said
that,
this
is
still
so
different
in
the
commercial
zone
as
well.
In
the
sense,
not
may
quintessential
cinema
actors
would
have
the
guts
to
take
up
a
character
like
Pooja.
How
uninhibited
did
that
required
you
to
be?
A.
There
were
still
some
inspirations
like
Govinda
in
'Aunty
No
1'
or
Kamal
Haasan
in
'Chachi
420'.
I
think
Kamal
Sir
was
so
legendary
in
that
film.
He
wasn't
playing
a
drag;
he
played
a
real
woman
and
even
had
two
men
in
love
with
her
character
in
the
film.
That's
the
biggest
inspiration.
Q.
Do
you
feel
'Dream
Girl'
was
offered
to
you
at
the
right
time
where
you
would
be
that
uninhibited
in
terms
of
the
kind
of
the
films
which
you
already
have
in
your
filmography?
A.
With
this
film,
I
would
love
to
reach
the
single
screens.
The
tonality
of
this
film
is
like
that.
It's
slapstick,
slightly
illogical
but
it's
humorous.
It's
a
laugh-out
loud
film.
The
songs
are
also
quite
commercial.
So,
I
just
want
to
reach
that
audience
so
that
I
can
do
more
films
like
'Article
15'.
This
kind
of
film
will
give
more
reach
to
'Article
15'
of
the
world.
'I
Credit
My
Success
To
My
Unsuccessful
Films'
Q.
Your
journey
from
a
radio-jockey
to
a
National
Award
winner
has
been
quite
beautiful.
Were
you
always
sure
that
you
would
make
it
in
the
industry?
Was
there
a
moment
of
self-doubt?
A.
It
was
only
once
when
'Hawaizaada'
bombed.
That
was
the
time
when
I
was
questioning
myself
about
what
was
going
wrong
with
my
choices.
That
was
a
great
learning
curve.
If
that
wouldn't
have
happened,
I
wouldn't
have
been
where
I
am
today.
I
give
credit
to
my
unsuccessful
films.
There
was
the
only
phase
of
self-doubt.
After
that,
thankfully
'Dum
Laga
Ke
Haisha'
happened
in
three
weeks
after
'Hawaizaada'.
Q.
Do
you
think
'Hawaizaada'
would
have
worked
if
it
were
to
release
today?
A.
The
concept
was
good.
I
think
I
can't
be
objective
about
it
any
more.
Because
when
you
make
a
choice
or
watch
the
film
twice
or
maybe
revisit
it
again
and
again,
I
can't
be
objective
about
it.
It's
just
that
it
would
be
different.
It's
just
that
bugeting
didn't
work.
Q.
But
what
happens
when
a
film
like
'Meri
Pyaari
Bindu'
doesn't
work
which
is
close
to
your
heart?
A.
I
gave
my
heart
and
soul
to
that
character.
I
loved
Abhi's
character.
I
got
mixed
responses
for
that
film
in
my
family
as
well.
Some
people
liked
it,
some
didn't.
'Nobody
Would
Have
Tweeted
That
Had
I
Been
A
Hit
Actor'
Q.
You
are
seen
as
a
threat
to
your
contemporaries
and
your
script
selection
is
quite
envious.
What's
your
take
on
that?
A.
I
don't
know
what
to
say.
(laughs).
I
think
everybody
is
doing
good
cinema.
Including
my
contemporaries.
Q.
The
perception
of
people
around
you
must
have
changed
before
and
after
your
success.
What
were
the
changes
that
you
felt?
Were
there
instances
when
someone
from
the
industry
demotivated
you?
A.
They
never
used
to
tell
me
on
my
face
(pauses).
I
am
quite
active
on
social
media.
I
remember
after
'Dum
Laga
Ke
Haisha',
somebody
tweeted
that
I
was
a
flop
actor.
I
was
about
to
tweet
back
to
that
person
that
it
is
a
legit
hit
film.
But
then
I
realized
that
nobody
would
have
tweeted
that
had
I
been
a
hit
actor.
So,
I
made
sure
that
all
of
my
films
are
successful
ones.
From
there
on,
I
would
always
put
my
script
ahead
of
my
character.
My
only
aspiration
was
to
give
successful
films
and
if
there
is
elbow
room
for
my
character,
I
would
go
for
it.
Q.
With
the
kind
of
roles
in
your
career,
it's
difficult
to
have
taken
them
up
without
any
conviction
and
belief
in
yourself.
Did
you
ever
lose
any
films
because
of
your
belief
system?
Even
during
your
Roadies
days,
you
were
quite
vocal.
A.
I
am
really
good
friends
with
Raghu.
He
was
the
first
person
in
Bombay
who
helped
me
out
with
my
portfolio.
My
first
audition
happened
because
of
him.
Speaking
about
convictions,
you
just
have
think
about
how
differently
you
can
do
things
in
life
and
have
your
own
space
in
this
world.
You
need
to
have
some
vision
as
well
along
with
your
talent.
That
makes
your
journey
more
interesting
and
successful.