Aayush Sharma is happy as ‘Ruslaan’ is his first film out of the Khan Daan’s protective wings. He received appreciation from Veteran writer Salim Khan for his first project, who said-– “Jo hero achcha gata hai aur achcha marta hai woh ek achcha hero hota hai.” According to him, the story is not predictable; thus, it is a film that will keep the audience engaged. Starring Aayush Sharma and debutant Sushrii Mishraa and directed by Karan Butani, the film ‘Ruslaan’ is set to roar the cinemas. Aayush Sharma in an exclusive with Lipika Varma.
Aayush Sharma:
On always working with new faces- “Kapil Sharma, my brother-in-law, mentioned this girl, Shusrii, to me. She knows action as she has done Ariel, sword fighting, and Martial Arts, and she is more into action-driven stuff and has the agility and physical capabilities to be able to act. In the first meeting, her physical appearance and competencies suited the part, and that’s how we chose a new face. You don’t know what an actor can bring when working with a new person. E.g., she may be able to reference my previous work and understand what I am doing here. But she is a surprise package for me. I don’t know her, so I won’t know how much she can push herself on par with her talent. It brings a new version when you are working with somebody new. You are also able to reinvent yourself in some way.”
On his growth in the film industry, and this being his first action film- “The audience has to gauge my growth. I’m just a few films old. But now, I feel a certain comfort level being in front of the cameras. I believe I’m at ease. There were moments when I could see her [Sushrii] getting worked up. In a scene that was to be canned, she had a script in her hand and was going to read it. At one point, I wanted to tell her to chill and not to get worked up. However, I went back to reminiscing, doing my debut film. I was the same as she in this film, experiencing the jitters. The urge, the paranoia of being able to deliver her best, was in her mind. My biggest achievement now is that I have learned to edit. In a multiple-camera setup, I now understand which part will be captured by a particular camera. In the first film, I was trying too hard. That eases being yourself, taking your own time, and not getting worried. I consider my growth.”
On the importance of the title for audiences to enter the theatres- “Playing the title role has become part of my life. While performing it, I was only performing. It is a special character for me. The beauty of this character is that it lived with me for the longest period.”
On why his film, ‘Kwatha’ didn’t take off- “It was conceptualized during the COVID times. Director Karan [Butani] and I still want to tell the story but with the right people. I feel it wasn’t meant to happen. I had to play an Army officer in it. Now, I thank god it didn’t happen as, at that time, I was naive and too young to play an Army officer. Beyond that, I believe there is a time for certain projects to take off, and let’s wait for the right time.”
Can put in a box-
On coming with Arhan Khan in his podcast, ‘Dumb Biryani’ – I’m sure I must be on the list. We follow a tradition in our Khan-daan, where we don’t force our family members. Whenever he calls me, I’ll be there. But Aarhan and I, whenever we meet, keep talking a lot. After a certain point when we are together, we start talking nonsense due to our close bond. Maybe that’s why he has not called me.
