Mumbai: Actor Ayushmann Khurrana believes stardom is no longer an "exclusive club" and that a film's script and authenticity are more important to its theatrical success in an entertainment landscape where audiences have access to multiple stars across different platforms.
Speaking at the session 'Cinema at Crossroads - The Rules of the Big Screen' on day one of FICCI Frames, the actor said the definition of stardom has changed with the emergence of influencers and YouTubers, who have created their own audience base.
"We are dwelling in multiple universes, where there are multiple worlds of entertainment and there are multiple stars of each world, be it influencers, or YouTubers, etc. There are certain stars who are big and you probably don't know about them and there are certain people who know about them," Khurrana said.
"So, stardom is relative and script is the star. It is not one size fits all... It used to be exclusive club earlier but not anymore," he said, adding that he believes in the idea of interacting with his audiences.
Khurrana said he has always believed that the story should be bigger than the actor or the star and gave the example of his upcoming film, "Udta Teer", a spy comedy.
"I always believe that story is the superstar right from my first film. Though in the last 20 odd films that I've done, I've dabbled into every kind of genre, from a project to run-of-the-mill kind of film.
"But I'm going back to my core, which is authenticity. If we give authentic subject to people that's a good draw. I believe in my next film, 'Udta Teer' it is like a reverse uno stuff but I'm excited about it as I'm going back to my core. It is my genre."
The session was attended by filmmaker Sriram Raghavan and Denzil Dias, VP and Managing Director, India Theatrical at Warner Bros Discovery.
Raghavan, who has worked with Khurrana on 2018 crime-thriller "Andhadhun", spoke about the importance of a film's story and its ability to connect with the audience over scale.
"I don't think it (box-office success) has to do only with scale, but it had to do with connection," he said.
Recounting the response to "Andhadhun", Raghavan said he was amazed to find an audience in China months after its Indian release.
"Our film did great in China six months after its release. We don't know how did that happen because it was already out, and suddenly people took to it. So, some movies have something unique, and that's what you're trying to give in (to people)," the director said.
Raghavan also recalled facing difficulty in getting the male lead for the film, which also featured in Tabu and Radhika Apte.
"I remember when he (Ayushmann) first heard the narration of 'Andhadhun', which five-six actors had refused to do it or politely said no. So, he said, 'It is not actor proof, it is star proof' and that this needs an actor," the filmmaker, known for making thrillers like "Johnny Gaddaar", "Ek Hasina Thi", "Merry Christmas", said.
On a lighter note, Khurrana asked Raghavan when he would make 'Andhadhun 2', and the director instantly replied saying he would return to the world only when he finds the right story.
"Whenever we've the right story that does not screw up the first film," he said.
Speaking about the current scenario of theatrical business, Khurrana expressed joy at the box-office run of small-budget films like "Hanuman Ansh" and "Obsession".
"'Hanuman Ansh' and 'Obsession' belong to two different worlds and are small-budget films, I think we need to make movies like that. We need to be budget-friendly, connect more with people. It sounds simple but it isn't," the actor said.
Dias said the theatrical experience needs to offer audiences a "compelling" reason to leave their home to watch a movie in a theatre.
"What matters is how we get the audience back by making sure we price it right, have adequate showcasing, nurturing it right, making sure they get longer space and it is not fighting for opening weekend. All the films that are successful are not about opening weekend, but about opening number of weeks," he said.