When Ayushmann Khurrana said he was shocked when he moved to Mumbai: ‘Gandagi bahot hai, kahin bhi imarat…’

Ayushmann Khurrana, who completed a decade in the industry earlier this year, is celebrating his 38th birthday on Wednesday. Though he made his film debut with Vicky Donor in 2012, he moved to Mumbai from his native place Chandigarh back in 2004. After starting his career as a Radio Jockey, the actor was a video jockey, participated in reality television shows, and worked as an anchor for several years before he signed his first film. (Also Read | Ayushmann Khurrana has peculiar advice for Mumbai fans suffering from infections)

Ayushmann Khurrana once revealed that it was a huge shocker for him when he moved to Mumbai, as it was dirtier than Chandigarh. He also shared that it was his family who pushed him to move to Mumbai.

During a conversation with Rajya Sabha TV in 2015, Ayushmann was asked to name one thing that he would like to change in society. He replied, “I come from a city where there is a lot of focus on cleanliness…Us sheher se aakar jab main Mumbai mein aaya tha to mujhe bahot bada dhakka laga tha ki yahan par gandagi bahot hai. Kahin bhi imarat khadi ho jaati hai, kahin bhi kuch bhi ho jaata hai (When I moved to Mumbai from that city I got a huge shock that there is filth everywhere. A building can crop up anywhere, anything can happen anywhere).” He added that he noted after coming to Mumbai that people remove their footwear before entering a house, and would like them to keep the outside clean in the same way.

In the interview, Ayushmann also recalled the story of how his father made him move to Mumbai even though he wanted to delay it. The actor said, “After journalism, I had plans to take a two-month sabbatical, rest, groom myself– learn horseriding and fighting to become an all-rounded actor. Main unme se hoon jo ghar se bhaage nahi the actor banne ke liye. Mujhe bhagaya gaya tha (I am one of those who didn’t run away from home to become an actor, but was made to go). I’m a very laid-back person and not very ambitious. I get my ambitions from my father. The next day after my exams, my bags were packed, tickets were booked. My father told me that ‘If you don’t go now, nothing will happen for you for two years, but if you go now, it’ll work out within a week’. I got a contract for radio within a week and I started doing that.”

Ayushmann was last seen in Anek, an action-thriller film by Anubhav Sinha. He will be seen next in Doctor G, a social comedy that also stars Rakul Preet Singh, Shefali Shah, and Sheeba Chaddha.