Ayushmann Khurrana: Dream Girl 2' a frontbencher, massy film

At the core of Dream Girl 2, the sequel to Ayushmann Khurrana's 2019 film, is comedy and the actor says the movie is a pure entertainer that caters to all kinds of audiences.

The actor has tackled various social and taboo subjects in his cinema, be it sperm donation in Vicky Donor, fat shaming in Dum Laga Ke Haisha, erectile dysfunction in Shubh Mangal Saavdhan or premature baldness in Bala.

Dream Girl 2, however, tonally follows its predecessor.

Directed by Raaj Shaandilyaa, Dream Girl featured Ayushmann as Karam, a man known for making a living by impersonating a female voice known as Pooja.

The film, which also featured Nushrratt Bharuccha, Annu Kapoor, Manjot Singh, Vijay Raaz and Abhishek Banerjee, had turned out to be one of the highest grossing movies of 2019.

Four years later, Ayushmann and his gang return with the sequel but the question was how to make the follow-up better than the first part.

In Dream Girl 2, scheduled to be released in theatres on August 25, Ayushmann reprises his role of Karam, who decides to cross dress as Pooja to make enough money to marry the love of his life, played by Ananya Panday.

Ayushmann, 38, said he had to maintain a fine balance in playing the part as he didn't want to come across as insensitive to the opposite gender with his crossdressing act.

The Chandigarh-born actor joked that the women in his family found him "pretty" as Pooja.

Ayushmann further said the sequel has been made on a bigger canvas.

The Hindi film industry seems to have to put the dismal 2022 behind with the back-to-back box office success of movies such as Pathaan, Zara Hatke Zara Bachke, Satyaprem Ki Katha and Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani.

Ayushmann's theatrical releases Anek, Doctor G and An Action Hero also suffered last year. "An Action Hero" found appreciation later with its streaming debut on Netflix.

According to Ayushmann, he is encouraged by the change in audiences' taste. "It was a wave and that has gone, (people) sitting at home and watching cinema. Now they want to come out and watch it on big screens.

Dream Girl 2 is produced by Ektaa R Kapoor's Balaji Motion Pictures.