When Ayushmann Khurrana earned money by singing in trains during college days

Before Bollywood discovered him, Ayushmann was a typical college kid in Chandigarh who loved to dine and drink, and perform in theatre and music. His friends and he would to hop on the Paschim Express and sing to other passengers while walking from coach to coach. The money would add up enough to be able to travel — he still remembers going to Goa as a result. He once called himself a "train singer", which represents his hustle and performing long before Bollywood showed interest.

Ayushmann was raised in a middle-class family, specifically the son of astrologer P. Khurrana and stay-at-home mom Poonam. Though he grew up in his father's regime, this came in the form of discipline that could be severe. Earlier in the month, during a press conference for his film, he mentioned being disciplined as recently as in his 20s when his father thought he was smoking. "Mine was a dictator," Ayushmann said in an interview, remembering beatings with chappals and belts from his father when he was younger. Despite that, Ayushmann is grateful for the principles of working hard, responsibility and resilience instilled by his father, which later served him as the bedrock of his own career.

When Vicky Donor came out in 2012, and overnight turned Ayushmann into a star, he had already become a father. He and his wife, filmmaker Tahira Kashyap, had children in their 20s and were growing up together with them. He says that it was being a father that made him empathic and grounded, especially with a daughter. Ayushmann was not raised like that. Instead of parenting in conjunction with fear and strictness, he believes in parenting openly and with kindness.

After completing his school and university, Ayushmann did not discover his career right away. He slowly built his career step by step by initially starting out as a radio jockey. At the age of 22, he was the host of a breakfast radio slot. The breakfast show is a valued slot typically given to experienced radio hosts. This created a sense of confidence and connection with his audience in radio, which allowed for a smooth transition to television and eventually films.

Ayushmann's rise to fame was not without its complications. He faced many obstacles in his career, one of which included rejection from the famed filmmaker Karan Johar. Instead of quitting, Ayushmann took a chance on his own with different and socially responsible storylines that none of his mainstream peers would consider taking. With films like 'Vicky Donor', 'Dum Laga Ke Haisha', 'Article 15', 'Andhadhun' and 'Badhaai Ho', he is the first star to break away from the traditional Bollywood hero type. He is now called the face of social comedy-dramas as an actor that brings entertainment, but also creates discussions about larger issues in society.