Having tasted back-to-back success at the box-office with "Andhadhun" and "Badhaai Ho" and then facing the harsh reality of his wife Tahira Kashyap's breast cancer, actor Ayushmann Khurrana now sees things through a different prism and has called life a "great leveller".
Tahira revealed her affliction on September 22, posting on Instagram that she was detected with DCIS (ductal carcinoma in situ) in her right breast with high grade malignant cells.
Asked how was he balancing his professional and personal life, Ayushmann told IANS here: "It was very difficult. I have realised that life is never perfect. You have to celebrate the imperfections of life and you have to accept that there would be a void in your life every time, it cannot be perfect. So, this was just a small imperfection according to us. We are taking it as it is."
The 34-year-old actor added: "I had two back-to-back films coming and I was going through a professional high and I was wondering life is so beautiful and suddenly this happened, so it is a great leveller. Life is a great leveller."
On Karva Chauth this year, Ayushmann kept a fast for the good health and long life of Tahira, whom he proudly calls his inspiration.
"I am glad I have a partner like Tahira who is very brave, strong, who is an inspiration. I have started seeing life through a different prism," said the actor, who has two children with Tahira -- Virajveer and Varushka.
"I was giving her my time, of course. In the morning I was promoting my films, in the nights I was with her in the hospital... It is not easy."
Making his debut in the world of films in 2012 with "Vicky Donor", Ayushmann in just six years has carved a niche for himself in Bollywood with movies like "Dum Laga Ke Haisha", "Nautanki Saala!", "Bareilly Ki Barfi", "Shubh Mangal Savdhan", "Andhadhun" and "Badhaai Ho" -- a film that has now crossed the Rs 200 crore mark worldwide.
Asked what he thinks about getting tagged as an unconventional hero in Bollywood, Ayushmann said: "You have to be successful, that's it. Conventional, unconventional, action hero, comedy star -- you have to be successful in your zone. All I am looking for is a fine combination of critical and commercial acclaim. Whether conventional or unconventional -- does not matter."
At a time when several stars were trying their luck in the industry with formula films, Ayushmann dabbled in genres as different as chalk and cheese.
Did that give him an edge over others?
"You make your own formula. I think that's my own formula of doing films which have no reference point. India does not have a reference point for 'Vicky Donor' or 'Andhadhun' or even 'Badhaai Ho'. I am proud of the choices I have been making and I have made my own space in the industry," he said.
But he stressed that adding a sprinkle of your own identity in films is important to him.
"You bring something of your own into a film. You give a bit of yourself to every film you do. I had an edge in 'Andhadhun' because, being a musician, I knew how to play a guitar so it was not difficult for me to learn a musical instrument," said the actor, who has even given his vocals for songs like "Pani da rang" and "Saddi galli aaja".