Here’s wishing a very Happy New Year to all those who have been following this blog. I know it has been a while since I wrote here, but I hope there will be more blogging in the New Year. Before I plunge neck deep into my next film, Manmarziyaan, I have a few things to share with you guys. Let me start with our single – Yahin Hoon Main.

Firstly, a BIG thank you for showering all the love on Yahin Hoon Main… Can’t believe it has already crossed 6 million views and counting! I’ll perhaps have to invent new words to express my gratitude, but you get the drift, right? This song is dear to me for more reasons than one – Working with Yami after what felt like an eternity, and then seeing Tahira’s name in the end credits.

Before I go all emo on you, there was a spooky twist to the tale, just like how you see in the video. We were put up at the Chail Palace hotel, and after the shoot I came back to my room to catch a nap. That’s when I had my first experience with a ghost, a polite one. I could hear a knock from inside the cupboard. I am not kidding you guys, it happened for real.

Like any of you would do in a situation like this, I started talking to the ghost. It got to a point where I had to request the ghost to leave me alone. I promised it that we could have a longer chat once the shoot was over. The next night we had an impromptu party, and thankfully the ghost didn’t make a friendly appearance. It was an experience that will haunt me for a while.

From making polite conversation with ghosts, to performing live at so many gigs, 2015 was a crazy ride. Talking about the band, I have been asked the reason I changed the name of the band from ‘Ayushmann After School’ to ‘Ayushmann Bhava.’ Apparently name changing is a part of our family culture.

You won’t believe that initially I was named Nishant. It was eventually changed to Ayushmann, but I am not sure if it had two Ns back then. Jokes apart, ‘Ayushmann Bhava’ just has a better ring to it, and it has nothing to do with numerology or any such sciences.

Before I wrap this blog, I have to express my gratitude to all those who have nominated me for the ‘Best Actor’ awards this year; and yes, gratitude to the entire team of Dum Laga Ke Haisha, for making this gem of a little film.

If you are a part of any WhatsApp group, you would have already read that forwarded joke about us living in an era where the pizza guy reaches you before the ambulance and blah blah blah. Sadly, it's not just a forwarded joke anymore, it has now become a fact of our lives. Strange things are happening all around - Dum Laga Ke Haisha is releasing in Poland - I would have laughed hardest at this, had I heard it before the release of our film.

 Having said that, if you are in Poland, and are reading this, do watch DLKH in your country when it releases later this month. Shameless self-plug aside, strange things are actually happening. A small-budget indie film, Masaan, was celebrated at Cannes 2015, AND will also be releasing in India very soon. For the longest time award-winning films were considered the "untouchables" in the mainstream circuit. That era is passe now.

 These days a good film is embraced by the audience, so what if sometimes it takes a while to find its audience. Each film has its own journey, and there is no point in intellectualising its fate. The game changes every Friday, and life goes on. Nevertheless it is amazing to see new names, interesting films, and genre bending projects being made - that too riding on a star. The stakes get balanced out, and everybody goes home happy.

 Every time I see that 'Dum Laga Ke Haisha' has been mentioned in a list covering the better films of the first half of 2015, I feel proud. Strange as it may sound, till the praises came my way for DLKH post-release, I wasn't really sure about it. I knew I had put my all into the film, but that's the only way I know. I trust my director to extract the best from me, irrespective of what happens to the film when it releases. 

Firstly, I would like to thank every single one of you for having watched our film, DumLaga Ke Haisha! With almost every possible odd stacked against it, none of us had imagined that our film will find an audience this BIG. All the 'size doesn't matter' cliches aside, we are happy that the numbers are getting bigger by the day! Like every other film that is made here, we too put in our share of sweat and toil, and we are grateful and humbled for the love we've been receiving ever since the film released.

This far the routine for me has been that once the film has hit the marquee, I move on, silently tucking all the bouquets and brickbats under my belt. No melodrama, no song and dance, just nothing at all. This time it feels slightly different - the elation seems a bit pronounced. Within a span of thirty days, from being written off, to finding my feet on terra firma once again, it does feel good. Every film that I have done has just about consumed as much of me, as any other. This time, it was weighing a bit heavier ;)

But let me not get into all of that; after all now our film is a hit. The reviews from mainstream critics were overwhelming no doubt, but we knew our film had touched the sweet spot, when we read encouraging and congratulatory blogs and tweets by people who don't review films for a living. The subtle nuances which usually get lost in the frame were noticed by the audience, and that came as a surprise. As some wise man had said, once the film is out, the audience owns it more than the makers.   

To cut a long story short, I would like to thank you all once again, on behalf of the entire cast and crew of Dum Laga Ke Haisha. What next, did you ask? Well, nothing has been decided yet. Just the usual - reading scripts, listening to narrations, and the occasional tweeting, retweeting, and hat-doffing. May be we could do a chat one of these days... what say? The band gigs are being planned as I type, and the official announcements will be made shortly. 

In the meanwhile, keep the love coming... in all sizes, if I may add ;) 

Every now and then life throws a pleasant surprise at you, and it is up to all of us to be ready to make the most of what has come our way. For an actor usually these surprises are in the form of amazing scripts and challenging roles. I am talking about one of the first few films that were offered to me. It had no semblance to anything that I did in ‘Vicky Donor’. The script and the director’s passion for his film sucked me into the world he had created.

This blog is about this film of mine that I chose to do early on, and the official release date of which is 30th Jan 2015. A protégé of renowned filmmaker Sanjay Leela Bhansali, debutant director Vibhu Puri, came to me with this script about the Indian who had outdone the legendary Wright brothers when it came to flying. Vibhu is one of the most talented people I have ever come across. An FTII product, he rose to fame with his brilliant short film, student Academy award’s nominee, 'Chaabi Waali Pocket Watch.' Watch it on his official channel here.

He has not only directed ‘Hawaizada’, but has also co-written the script. His command over Urdu and Hindustani is unparalleled. Having penned six out of the seven songs in the film, he will stand tall amidst the auteurs of Indian cinema in the times to come. One of Vibhu’s quotes that I really like is, “Woh fankaar hee kya jisse awwal hone ke liye aawaam ki mohar chahiye. Har shaayar mashoor ho jaaye yeh ratti bhar zaroori nahi…"  

Coming back to the beginning, I had done my stint on the Bollywood runway, thanks to ‘Vicky Donor’ and was waiting to fly, and it was surreal when a film like this came my way. This was unchartered territory, diametrically opposite to the gregarious Punjabi ‘munda’ character that I have essayed in the 2 of my 3 films. This role was different in every possible way that I could ever imagine, even slightly intimidating.

It has been a comparatively long flight as a ‘hawaizaada,’ but as an actor it has been the most challenging project till date. The era that the film is set in, the language they spoke back then, and the look that I will be seen in – these are things that made me give it my all. To add to the overall experience, the pride I felt as an Indian, while playing the protagonist, Shivkar Talpade, is inexplicable. The maker’s passion and vision will be there for you all to savor very soon!

Oh yes, there is a very special song in ‘Hawaizaada’ that has been composed and sung by me. The film is set in an era when Mirza Ghalib saab had just passed away, thus it seemed more relevant to use one of his poetry and recreate it in a way which is contemporary yet has the nostalgic value inherent to the times. Stalwarts have delivered their spellbinding versions of this song, but it is my humble dedication to the legendary poet.

Alike every other film that is this ambitious, there were initial hiccups, but all I will say is that it has been worth every bit of the hard work that we all have put in. ‘Hawaizaada’ is coming to a theater near you on 30th January, 2015, and I really hope that you all can see what went behind making this film of epic proportions possible. It wasn’t easy – starting right from the look tests, to the dubbing that concluded recently.  It has been an uphill journey.

Hope our flight catches your collective fancy.

So my next single also has the iconic word (at least for me) – ‘paani’ in it. It's called ‘Mitti Di Khushboo,’ but the opening line has ‘paani’ mentioned in it. This didn't strike me till the time some people pointed about the 'intentional' mention of the word. Of course not. It's not a word that I am fixated with, but to think of it I believe I am obsessed with its demeanor and how it closely resembles mine. It's colourless (nope - not coming down to odourless), but when something dissipates into it, it acquires its characteristics, surrenders completely and becomes just that. You take that out and it maintains its individuality. That's how I am and that's the soul of this song. No matter where life takes you, you for once want to head back to that pure undiluted you that existed at some time. That undiluted version could be your love, your roots, your village or your true existence. To sum up that's the essence of ‘Mitti Di Kushboo’.

  We approached Huma with the song to feature in the video, and she immediately loved it. The shoot was quick and fun. It was all in a day's work. The rural set up was shot at Karjat (a few kilometers ahead of Mumbai), and nature helped us with the rain bit. Perfect mausam! But not so perfect bicycles! I think the production was trying to save on the cost, which is why perhaps the chain kept coming off of my cycle. The brakes of the other girl rider (shown as Huma's friend) were not working. She was informed about it and was asked to be extra careful. But I guess the perfect mausam got the better of her and in her excitement she started riding the bicycle really fast. With the cool breeze blowing in her hair, she closed her eyes, with a faint smile on her face she let her feet off the paddle and went 'weeeeeeeeeeeee' and BANG! Into the bushes. At first we were all scared, but few seconds into the only ‘action sequence’ of our romantic song, we couldn't help our giggles. That adventure was just in a day's shoot where there was absolutely no scope of it being there, and yet she managed! Imagine more days of shoot... Actually maybe next time... Tee hee (devil’s horns on)

  Coming back to the melody, Rochak composed it back in the day, but today has come to existence with a little help from another dear friend from college, Gurpreet Saini's lyrics along with contributions from Rochak and another member of our drama club - Gautam Sharma. And for those who think its just music all the way for me, be rest assured - two movies of mine are coming soon, both scheduled release early next year. And at the same time I am working on my next two as well. So yes, I am an actor-singer and not the other way round. It's just that I can't take the music out of me; if it happens perhaps that'll be my last breathing day! Music makes me breathe and acting makes me live.

  So till I keep breathing, you keep listening!

(Disclaimer: The headline has got nothing to do with the present political scenario of our beloved country.)

First things first – A BIG ‘Thank You’ to all of you, for the warm response to the first blog…

Moving on from there, this blog is about the growing camaraderie amongst actors in the Hindi film industry and some other filmi trivia. Us actors are a weird bunch, known for their narcissism, insecurities, greed for meatier parts, greed for bigger box office numbers etc. This was back in the day.

Things have changed for the better, and the mutual admiration society of us actors is getting bigger by the day. Not only are actors forthcoming with praises for their contemporaries’ films; they are not thinking twice before plugging each other’s projects. It is so heartwarming to read such, happy and positive tweets; makes me go burrraahhhh! Punjabi by nature, you see.

Taking the sweetness overload further, I must say that the industry has found two amazing actor/singers in Alia Bhatt and Shraddha Kapoor. I am sure there are many more who will join this bandwagon soon. The line up of films of my peers, especially those managed by YRF like Arjun Kapoor, Sushant Singh, Anushka Sharma and the likes, are really awesome. To say the least, movie buffs can look forward to a great time ahead at the cinemas!

A quick hat tip to Ranveer Singh who has created history of sorts by becoming the first ever celeb to endorse Durex. Sorry for breaking the bro-code here, but womenfolk should know at times we guys think of bizarre things to delay orgasms. Like guys may think about God, exams, their professional stresses while doing the act, so that they can distract their minds to last longer. Ahem. Now this space has been occupied by the cool rap gig that Ranveer did. So by default whenever boys will use Durex, they will think about Ranveer, and it will automatically help straight guys delay their climax. Just imagine finding mind space in the most intimate moments of men all over! Apart from this, Ranveer is endorsing Ching's, and you can see him doing his fab filmi moves on different channels. We men live to have food and sex. Ranveer baba has ticked both the columns. Mean feat bro! 

Oh and a BIG shoutout to Huma Qureshi, for being a part of my forthcoming single, ‘Mitti di khushboo’. The sweet person that she is, Huma didn’t even bat an eyelid before agreeing to be a part of the video. Now you see what I was talking about in the beginning of the blog? Or may be it was the magic of the song we made her hear. Wink. Can’t wait for your reactions to the single!

Btw did I tell you I loved AIB's new sketch on Alia. Very sporting of Parineeti to be a part of it. These guys from AIB- Tanmay and Ashish Shakya used to script Mtv Wassup, my first show on tv in 2008. Now they are country's finest stand up comedians. So proud of them. 

And I have been reading a lot of exciting scripts, hearing narrations and just might zero down on the one I would perhaps spend doing almost the first half of 2015. Making the right choice is perhaps the toughest part of our profession. While we are at it, why don’t y’all tell me what kind of film would you like to see me in! 

Blogging isn’t completely new to me, but this time around, it is very special. Now that I have an official FB page, I thought of taking this digital interaction with all you people a step further. For updates that need more than just a few counted words, I will officially be using this space from now onwards. Here, I will be officially official, generally general, randomly random, normally normal and at times particularly particular. I know the last sentence was too loaded, but the mad interaction with you all on the live FB chat has led me to this state of mind.

Moving ahead, this blog is to answer this one question, once and for all - How is it for someone from outside the industry to be a part of Bollywood?

Rejection has been the best friend of every creative person, and I am not any different. Before and after Vicky Donor, the varied rejections helped me in more ways than one. After less than half a dozen reality shows or more that you perhaps now know about, and at many more such reputed forums, I could continue being myself without feeling gagged, and after the release of my debut film; I didn’t stop myself from enjoying the ‘tapri ki chaai’ and the occasional ‘vada pav’. Three films down, things haven’t changed a lot, but there’s a strong reason for that.

To employ the profound words of the legend, Bob Dylan: “Times they are a changing…” In the last few years, the film industry has evolved in a fashion that would leave any veteran trade pundit speechless. Item numbers and elaborate action set-pieces be damned, a wide array of films has won the hearts of the audiences. Not only have the box office digits grown in leaps and bounds, the range of films being made here also has grown manifold. This has led to the creation of opportunities for many outsiders like me.

For someone like me from outside the industry to now be a part of Bollywood feels great, I feel blessed. There are times when I get star struck too, yes that happens more than a few times. There are times when I feel surprised, that I too can actually pick up the phone and call a filmmaker that I fully admire. Who would have imagined that life would get me this far! Sometimes I pinch myself to ensure that I haven’t been dreaming. It has been hard work, yes, but who doesn’t work hard.

Aaj mere paas gaadi hai, bungalow hai, bank balance hai… but I know all that can go. Poof poof gone! What will always remain is the love of my near and dear ones. Had it not been for my family, I might have gone cuckoo. They have, and will always continue to keep me grounded. For somebody who wasn’t born into the film industry, that grounding is very essential. I think I have already made my set of friends; they have known me for the longest time, even before I became the actor, ‘me’. The ground under the feet should never be replaced by the delusional head in the clouds...      

It took me a little while to get used to the flashbulbs, screaming fans, the occasional stalker and that agonizing online troll. And of course there are some who just don’t get my name right – Anshuman / Angshuman / Jaani Dushman…the variations are never ending, but as long as they aren’t calling me names, I am okay with it.  I am sure one day they will get it right, and life will go on as usual. I am keen to know how many variations of AYUSHMANN can there be anyway!

I think that should be all for now, will write another one very soon.