Was always intrigued by caste divide in India: Ayushmann Khurrana

Actor Ayushmann Khurrana believes his golden run at the box office, including back-to-back hits "Andhadhun" and "Badhaai Ho", instilled the confidence in him to take up a hard-hitting project like "Article 15".

The film, directed by Anubhav Sinha of "Mulk" fame, touches upon the sensitive topic of casteism.

Khurrana said he always wanted to be a part of gritty and socially-relevant films like "Article 15".

"Last two years were very fortunate for me as my films clocked great numbers at the box office and it only gave courage to me to do a film like 'Article 15'. It was a part of my bucket list to do a film like this because I always wanted to do something on a social issue," he told PTI in an interview.

The film offers a realistic take on Article 15 of the Indian Constitution, which prohibits discrimination on grounds of religion, race, caste, sex or place of birth.

Khurrana believes the presence of mainstream actors like him in such films helps the cause as it will help them connect with a wider audience.

"If you have a mainstream actor attached to a subject like this, it reaches out to a wider audience. We want to reach out to people who believe in caste discrimination and if we are able to change the mindset of one person that will be the true victory for us," he said.

The actor was set to collaborate with Sinha for a romantic film but destiny brought them together for "Article 15". Khurrana said he became a fan of the director after watching his 2018 courtroom drama "Mulk".

"I became a fanboy of Anubhav Sinha, I feel he discovered his true voice as a director after 'Mulk'. When I met him he had offered me a rom-com but I told him I am looking for a hard-hitting subject, something like 'Mulk'.

"He narrated a couple of concepts to me and 'Article 15' was one of them. Later he worked on the draft, which we both loved and we happened to be on the same page."
"As a person, I was always intrigued by the caste divide in the country. In rural areas the caste divide is very rampant, there are honour killings because of inter-caste alliances. We have depicted the situation as real as it could be in our film."
"We have separate utensils for our domestic help, we do not share a meal with them or any of our staff. It is all deep rooted. It will take time to get rid of all this. We need to look within and then the conversation will be started."
"Anubhav Sinha sir also never expected me in the role of a tough cop. And that was the challenge. More than the character, it was the subject that intrigued me."
"Also, I met real-life cops including senior IPS officers in Delhi and some cops in UP, I observed the way the proceedings go on at a police station."