Many industry people asked me to re-think

Mumbai: Actor Ayushmann Khurrana, who is waiting for the release of his next Shubh Mangal Zyada Saavdhan, says that many from the Hindi film industry asked him to re-think over playing a gay man on screen.

"I'm what I'm because of my family. They have constantly been a massive support system for me and they have always enabled me in taking the biggest life decisions. When I decided that my brand of cinema will stand for taboo breaking subjects and characters like being a sperm donor in Vicky Donor, someone who is prematurely balding in Bala, to now proudly playing a gay man in Shubh Mangal Zyada Saavdhan, they told me to always back my instincts and never think of what society or my immediate community will say about me," Ayushamnn said.

He said many people from the industry told him to rethink playing a gay man on screen.

"Their (family's) confidence in me and my dreams has made me who I'm today, has made me what I stand for and I can't thank them enough. Doing 'Shubh Mangal Zyada Saavdhan' was one of the most important decisions of my life. A lot of people from the industry asked me to re-think this because no leading hero has ever portrayed a gay man on screen. But I knew, this stereotype needed to be shattered and the time to change it, is now. I somehow knew I had to do it and take the plunge," he said.