New pattern of films set in small town is irritating: Zeeshan

Films set in small towns have clicked well with the audience but Mohammed Zeeshan Ayyub says the trend is getting "formulaic" with every other movie repeating the same setting.
This year several films set in heartland India have worked at the box office be it "Badrinath Ki Dulhaniya", "Toilet: Ek Prem Katha", "Barailey Ki Barfi" or "Shubh Mangal Saavdhan".
"This new pattern (of films set in small town) is irritating me. It's definitely a good thing that we have gone away from those dreamy films set in la la land, but I think while winning that war, we are making a new set of formula films," Zeeshan tells PTI.

"Suddenly every film is about Uttar Pradesh, every film is talking about a small town based there, local people and same faces."
Zeeshan, who has played Imran Khan, Dhanush and Shah Rukh Khan's friend in films "Mere Brother Ki Dulhan", "Raanjhanaa", "Raees" respectively, says today more actors are willing to play the hero's friend because it is better written.
"In the past one year, everyone was telling me not to play a hero's friend. Now, they're playing the same because in every second film there is a hero's friend and he has a better sense of humour than the main lead."

The actor says he will try not to be a part of this formula because it is getting repetitive.

"I will try and not be a part of these kind of films because then what is wrong with a Karan Johar or a Yash Raj film? They also broke some existing norms, started a new cinema with 'DDLJ', 'Kuch Kuch Hota Hai' and people accepted that."
The actor, who himself has featured in heartland films like "Raanjhana" and "Tanu Weds Manu Returns", feels he has become "the Anupam Kher" of such cinema.
"I am like Anupam Kher... doing the big supporting characters that he used to do back then.