Deviating a bit from the subject of his films and moving the conversation to Ayushmann the film buff, we ask what kind of cinema he enjoys watching. He replies, “I watch all kinds of cinema. I love watching Malayalam cinema. I am a huge fan of Fahadh Fazil. His films are not commercial per se. He listens to his heart. I listen to Malayalam songs, Bengali songs. So, I think every genre of cinema is important. You need to know more about your country than knowing about world cinema. You need to know the people you are trying to connect with. We used to think that a consumer of art is also a creator of art, but it’s not true. A lot of people know a lot about world cinema but they don’t make great films. And people who make great films probably just know reality well.” He cites the example of a successful and very relevant filmmaker. He says, “Take for example, somebody like Anees Bazmee. You know, he’s very grounded, he knows the audience. To make successful cinema, you need to know your country better than world cinema. There’s no bigger success than being an audience as well as a creator of your art. That’s what I feel.”
A lot of modern actors diversified into being producers, while a select few have even ventured into direction. Ayushmann speaks about having similar ambitions. He says, “I’m busy with three films in a year. I will probably direct or produce one day, but I don’t know when.” Paani Da Rang from his debut film Vicky Donor still has its fans and they keep asking when will Ayushmann get back to singing. He acknowledged the query and said, “I want to create music. I miss my gigs and writing songs.”
Since he is a fan of Malayalam cinema and music, we ask if Ayushmann has a take on the growing success of South cinema. He says, “They know the pulse of the audience. They know what sort of people would consume their films. Single screen audiences go crazy while watching South Indian films.”
