Ayushmann Khurrana once received a landline number for Dharma Productions directly from Karan Johar himself
Ayushmann Khurrana's rise to stardom is full of unexpected events. He began his career as a radio jockey, moved on to be a video jockey, and eventually made his Bollywood debut in 2012 with 'Vicky Donor', co-starring Yami Gautam, who was also new to the industry at the time. Interestingly, during his early years, Ayushmann once got hold of Karan Johar's office number, but things didn’t turn out as planned. When he called, he was simply told that auditions were not conducted for 'outsiders'.
Ayushmann shared this experience on 'Koffee With Karan' during Season 6, before the nepotism debate became prominent in Bollywood. He mentioned that he had interviewed Karan Johar in 2007 while working as a radio jockey. Despite facing rejection, Ayushmann always approached Bollywood as an outsider, and his determination eventually led him to success.
The actor reminisced about the time when he had asked Karan Johar for his contact details to pursue his acting ambitions. According to Ayushmann, Karan provided him with a landline number. The following morning, when Ayushmann called the number, he was told that they didn’t hold auditions for outsiders or new talents.
Ayushmann also shared this amusing story in a conversation with Niranjan Iyengar. He explained that he was hosting a radio segment at an awards show, where celebrities would come into a radio booth for live interviews, broadcasted across the country. During one of these segments, he interviewed Karan Johar and expressed his desire to be an actor, requesting his contact number. Karan gave him the landline number of Dharma Productions. Ayushmann called the next day, introduced himself as a radio presenter, and inquired about audition opportunities. However, the response he received was that they only worked with established stars.
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Ayushmann's journey began with his win in MTV Roadies Season 2 back in 2004. He later appeared in shows like 'MTV Fully Faltoo Movies', 'Cheque De India', and 'Jaadoo Ek Baar'. His debut film, 'Vicky Donor', was a success, although his subsequent films—'Nautanki Saala', 'Bewakoofiyaan', and 'Hawaizaada'—struggled at the box office.