After a successful debut with Vicky Donor, Ayushmann Khurrana delivered three back-to-back flops – Nautanki Saala, Bewakoofiyaan and Hawaizaada. In an interview, he revealed that he was told by a filmmaker around this time that he does not ‘sell’. “One of the filmmakers told me, ‘Ayushmann, you don’t sell.’ I had said no to a film and I was told, ‘Ayushmann, you don’t sell, why are you saying no to this film?’ Upkaar jaise kar rahe ho, ki yeh film kar lo (It was like he was doing me a favour by offering me the film),” he told RJ Siddharth Kannan.

With the release of Dum Laga Ke Haisha, Ayushmann bounced back. However, he took his time to select his next project. “I waited for two years after Dum Laga Ke Haisha, I did not have a release for two years. I was just waiting for the right film,” he said.

Ayushmann won the National Award for Best Actor in 2019 for his performance in Andhadhun. He shared the award with Vicky Kaushal, who was honoured for Uri: The Surgical Strike.