Hope good word of mouth for 'An Action Hero' film: Ayushmann Khurrana

Mumbai: Bollywood star Ayushmann Khurrana on Monday said the love from audiences for his latest film "An Action Hero" reinstates his belief in taking risks and he hopes the strong word of mouth for the movie prompts more people to visit theatres.

Released in theatres on December 2, the movie received mostly positive reviews from critics and viewers. However, the film got off to a slow start at the box office as it reportedly raised a paltry figure of Rs 5.99 crore.

In a joint statement with the film's producer Aanand L Rai, Ayushmann expressed gratitude towards fans for watching the movie, directed by debutant director Anirudh Iyer.

"We are humbled with all the positivity and the strong word of mouth surrounding 'An Action Hero'.

"We hope this snowballs into more and more people coming to the theatres. We have always wanted to tell stories differently and back projects that are fresh, that are unique & clutter-breaking. We are grateful for the love that's coming our way for 'An Action Hero'," the 38-year-old actor said in the statement.

Billed as a slick actioner with an offbeat satirical sense of humour, the film follows an artiste’s journey, both in front and behind the lens.

In the movie, Khurrana plays Maanav, an action hero, who runs for his life as Bhura Solanki (Jaideep Ahlawat) wants to avenge the mysterious death of his brother.

Ayushmann, who described "An Action Hero" as a deviation from his past work, said he felt like a newcomer during the filming process.

"During the entire journey of 'An Action Hero' it really felt like we were the newest students of cinema and were all set to make something really exciting and new age," he said.

The actor, who teamed up for the third time with Rai for the film, said as a team, they are always inclined to cause creative disruption through their films. Their previous films were -- "Shubh Mangal Saavdhan" and "Shubh Mangal Zyada Saavdhan".

"From 'Shubh Mangal Saavdhan', 'Shubh Mangal Zyada Saavdhan' and now 'An Action Hero', we have tried to give audiences something new to savour and discuss through our brand of cinema," Ayushmann said.

He said the positive response to "An Action Hero" encourages them to narrate unique stories.

"We are grateful for the love that's coming our way for 'An Action Hero'. It validates our stance of walking the road less travelled, to take risks and hopefully contribute to making our industry a more diverse storytelling entity.

"For us, 'An Action Hero' is a rare script, a film that was meant to push the envelope of creativity and we hope you continue giving it love and appreciation in the days to come. Keep loving and supporting!" Ayushmann added.

"An Action Hero" is produced by Colour Yellow Production and Bhushan Kumar and Krishan Kumar's T-Series.