In a recent interview with Film Companion, the An Action Hero team discussed the film’s characters, their own professional choices, and their earnest love for action movies. Director Anirudh Iyer’s debut feature stars Ayushmann Khurrana and Jaideep Ahlawat. Khurrana described it as packed with “all the elements of commercial cinema. It has humour, it has action. At the same time, it’s very, very fresh”.
Khurrana is best known for his roles in social dramedies, like the recent Doctor G (2022). Playing an action hero is something of a departure. “I felt like a debutante, I’ve never played an action hero in the past,” he said. To practice consistently, a mixed martial arts expert would accompany him on the sets of Doctor G. “Woh character main neend main kar sakhta hoon, woh toh meri daal roti hai (I could play that character in my sleep. It’s my staple genre),” he said about his role in Doctor G.
For An Action Hero, Khurrana had to put his best foot forward. The film is the first time Khurrana will be seen acting with Ahlawat and Ahlawat was full of praise for the professional choices Khurrana has made in his career. About Ahlawat, Khurrana said, “He brings a lot on the table… a lot of credibility on the table as an actor.” Ahlawat’s character in the movie, he added, “is ready to take your case.”
From the trailer of An Action Hero, you may have thought Ahlawat is the bad guy, but the actor said he never takes up fully negative roles. His character is not inherently bad or villainous but while trying to reach his goals, he becomes susceptible to making questionable choices. About his experience working on the film, Ahlawat added, “I loved it, every single day. I was always there.”
