He is an actor, a singer and has been a VJ in the past but Ayushmann Khurrana says turning producer was not a part of his career plan.
Nonetheless, Ayushmann has now donned a producer’s hat for wife Tahira Kashyap’s directorial debut Toffee, a short film set in the 1990s which takes on child marriage.
The actor said it was the story of Toffee that pushed him to back the project. “Producing films was not really on my radar. I am more of an actor and singer and performer. I am more of an artist. I don’t understand numbers. We needed somebody who is liable and would do it in a clean, nice manner. So we got Mukesh Chhabra for this short film,” Ayushmann said in an interview.
The idea to turn producer was purely a creative decision for Ayushmann and he felt a story on the issue of child marriage was the need of the hour. Ayushmann revealed that the idea of a short film struck Tahira during her childhood when she came across a girl named Ritu, who was married when she was 15-year-old.
“It was a real-life situation for Tahira that triggered her to do something about it. That time she did not think of making a short film. These kind of things are rampant in our country. We are trying to pass on the message that child marriage is not the right thing,” he said.
For Ayushmann, acting and singing are his priorities and he would only produce films if the story is interesting. “If there is something interesting which is not too production heavy and is simple, easy, small budget then why not. I need to pad up with certain people who know the craft of production very well,” he said.
The actor said he and his wife have always been “creatively” involved with each other’s career choices. “I will be creatively involved with her scripts. She also has been creatively involved with my work. She is the one who acts like a scanner for my scripts. We take decisions collectively,” he said.The short film will premiere on Eros Now.
