Ayushmann Khurrana (born 14 September 1984) is an Indian actor, singer and former television host who works in Hindi films. He won the reality show MTV Roadies as a college student, worked as a radio jockey and TV presenter, and made his film debut with Vicky Donor (2012). He became known for choosing small-budget films about subjects that Bollywood usually avoids, such as sperm donation, erectile dysfunction, baldness and caste. His role in Andhadhun (2018) won him the National Film Award for Best Actor.
Quick Facts
| Birth name | Nishant Khurrana |
| Born | 14 September 1984, Chandigarh, India |
| Age | 42 |
| Occupation | Actor, singer, television presenter |
| Education | DAV College, Chandigarh; Panjab University (mass communication) |
| Years active | 2004–present |
| Spouse | Tahira Kashyap (m. 2008) |
| Children | 2 |
| Sibling | Aparshakti Khurana (actor) |
| Known for | Vicky Donor, Andhadhun, Badhaai Ho, Article 15, Dream Girl |
Early Life
Ayushmann was born in Chandigarh, where his father, P. Khurrana, was a well-known astrologer. He was named Nishant at birth, but his parents changed it to Ayushmann when he was a child. He studied English literature at DAV College and then a master’s in mass communication at Panjab University. During college he was active in theatre and street plays, and in 2004 he won the second season of the youth reality show MTV Roadies.
Career
After Roadies, Khurrana worked as a radio jockey on BIG FM in Delhi, where his show won awards, and then became a VJ and host on MTV and other channels, presenting shows such as MTV Rock On and India’s Got Talent.
Shoojit Sircar cast him in Vicky Donor (2012), a comedy about a sperm donor. The film was a surprise hit and won him the Filmfare Award for Best Male Debut. He also wrote and sang the film’s song “Pani Da Rang”, which won him the Filmfare Award for Best Male Playback Singer. His next few films did poorly.
Dum Laga Ke Haisha (2015), about a man who marries an overweight woman, began a run of successful films that mixed comedy with social messages. These included Bareilly Ki Barfi (2017), Shubh Mangal Saavdhan (2017), Badhaai Ho (2018), Dream Girl (2019) and Bala (2019). He played a blind pianist in Sriram Raghavan’s thriller Andhadhun (2018), which won him the National Film Award for Best Actor, shared with Vicky Kaushal. He also played a police officer investigating caste crime in Article 15 (2019).
Khurrana starred in Shubh Mangal Zyada Saavdhan (2020), Gulabo Sitabo (2020) with Amitabh Bachchan, Chandigarh Kare Aashiqui (2021), Dream Girl 2 (2023) and the horror comedy Thamma (2025). In 2020 Time magazine named him one of the 100 most influential people in the world.
Personal Life
Khurrana married his childhood sweetheart, Tahira Kashyap, in 2008. They have a son, Virajveer, and a daughter, Varushka. Tahira, a writer and film director, was treated for breast cancer in 2018 and has spoken openly about it. His younger brother, Aparshakti Khurana, is also an actor. Khurrana continues to release music and perform live with his band.
Awards and Honours
Selected Filmography
Frequently Asked Questions
When and where was Ayushmann Khurrana born?
Ayushmann Khurrana was born on 14 September 1984 in Chandigarh, India and is 42 years old.
What is Ayushmann Khurrana known for?
Known for: Vicky Donor, Andhadhun, Badhaai Ho, Article 15, Dream Girl.
Featured image: Ayushmann Khurrana performs at the India Film Project (IFP) Season 8, Mumbai, October 2018. Photo by Megha Thakker, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
