Ayushmann Khurrana exclusive: In conversation with 'Piano Player'

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"Thank you for validating this film Andhadhun (Piano Player), our effort was to make an interesting gem, it is such a beautiful surprise that it has done so well in China. Thank you for your love," said popular Indian actor Ayushmann Khurrana in a special message for his Chinese fans while speaking exclusively with CGTN Digital.

Ayushmann-starred Andhadhun (Piano Player, 调音师) has emerged as 2019's first Bollywood blockbuster in China. The hilariously thrilling murder-drama has collected over 280 million yuan (42 million U.S. dollars) at the Chinese box office since its release on April 3.

"I had no idea how well the film will do because I actually have no idea about Chinese market but I have realized that content really rules the box office be it India or abroad and Andhadhun is such a film that cuts across borders, cultures because it's a fasting moving unexpected thriller, it's a dark comedy so people relish it," the actor told CGTN Digital.

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The film revolves around a "blind" pianist who inadvertently becomes the sole witness to a murder. The unexpected twists and turns in the movie have succeeded in wooing the Chinese who are flocking the theaters to get shocked, haunted, and puzzled

"It shocked me to my core with the sharp insight into the dark side of humanity. The ending shot raised my hair on back of my neck," said Debbie Xu, a media professional based in Beijing, after watching the movie.

A poster of "Andhadhun" (Piano Player). /courtesy of Douban

Talking about his blind character in the film the Bollywood heartthrob said that "Akash's character is very realistic since we all have dark shades…at the same time he's spunky because he's a musician and he has his own kink in life that he wants to pretend to be blind."

The golden run of the film seems to have also busted the notion that only Indian films with a social message strike a chord with the Chinese people.

"I loved the story, it's very dramatic, it's constantly changing from the beginning until the end," said He Yan, who spoke with CGTN Digital outside a theater after watching a morning show of the film, adding that she would rate the lead actor 10 on 10 for being such a liar.

"The film is full of surprises, it's hilarious and pathetic at the same time. The film makes viewers think about their own lives and tells when we should turn blind," Maggie Tong, a television reporter, told CGTN Digital.

CGTN infographics

Positive feedback on several Chinese movie review sites and strong word of mouth helped Andhadhun (Piano Player) race past WB's Shazam with weekend collections of over six million yuan (10.3 million U.S. dollars), more than double the Hollywood heavyweight's earnings of just three million yuan (4.8 million U.S. dollars).

"When you are seeing something highly unexpected and whacked out you will definitely get entertained and Andhadhun is just that," Ayushmann told CGTN Digital, adding that even if people come out of the theaters hating his character in the film it makes him believe that he's done a fine job as an actor.

CGTN infrographics.

Spoiler Alert! The mysterious ending

The breathtakingly mysterious ending of the film has sparked massive discussions about whether Akash, the piano player, was lying or telling the truth.

While commenting on the much-debated last sequence of the blockbuster thriller the actor revealed that the film's director Sriram Raghavan "wanted it to be open-ended, and did not want it to be absolutely clear."

"Personally I would like to believe that Askah was lying," Ayushmann said laughingly without revealing any further details.

Indian actor Ayushmann Khurrana. /courtesy of Kunal Gupta.

What's next?

The actor is currently shooting for his next projects, and he's particularly keen on securing a Chinese release for his forthcoming film "Bala" which deals with the universal issue of receding hairline among youth.

He said he would want the Chinese people to watch his debut film "Vicky Donor" and "Dum Laga Ke Haisha" to explore more about his unique body of work.

The young star, who's known for turning offbeat scripts into box-office hits, sounded excited about the idea of working in a China-India co-production in future. "Chinese are so hard working and so are Indians, and I am sure a co-production will definitely bring something amazing if these two cultures come together," he said.