Vicky Donor screenwriter says Ayushmann Khurrana was ‘desperate’ for a film: ‘Many established actors said no…’

Screenwriter Juhi Chaturvedi, who wrote Vicky Donor, has revealed that many established actors refused to do the film.

In a new interview, Juhi also said that actor Ayushmann Khurrana ‘was desperate (for a film) then and we were too’. Speaking on the topic (sperm donation), she said that only Shoojit Sircar could make such a film.

Vicky Donor (2012) is a romantic comedy film directed by Shoojit Sircar. The film marks the debut film of Ayushmann Khurrana and Yami Gautam. Apart from them, Vicky Donor also stars Annu Kapoor and Dolly Ahluwalia. The story is set against the background of sperm donation and infertility within a Bengali-Punjabi household.

As quoted by India Today, Juhi said, “There was a sense of fear when I wrote Vicky Donor. There was fear of whether I could write it. The topic (sperm donation) was such that no one but Shoojit Sircar could have done it. Many established actors said no to Vicky Donor, In a way, it was good as it made us desperate. We got Ayushmann Khurrana, He was desperate (for a film) then and we were too.”

She added, “When I write, it does not matter if I am a man or a woman. Dimag ka ya buddhi ka koi gender nahi hota (There is no gender of the brain or intelligence). Sensitivity does not have a gender. If I am a woman, it does not mean that I will have sensitivity, Just the same way, if there is a man, it does not mean that he will write rashly.”

Apart from Vicky Donor, Juhi has also written scripts for Piku (2015), October (2018), and Gulabo Sitabo (2020). All these films have been directed by Shoojit Sircar. Piku featured Amitabh Bachchan, Deepika Padukone, and Irrfan Khan; October starred Amitabh and Ayushmann Khurrana; and Amitabh and Ayushmann were seen in Gulabo Sitabo.

Fans will see Ayushmann next in Dream Girl 2 alongside Ananya Panday. Dream Girl 2 will release in theatres on July 7 this year. The upcoming film is the follow-up to the 2019 comedy-drama also starring Ayushmann.

Raaj Shaandilyaa, who had helmed the first part, has also directed Dream Girl 2. Annu Kapoor, Paresh Rawal, Vijay Raaz, Manoj Joshi, Rajpal Yadav, Seema Pahwa, Manjot Singh, and Abhishek Banerjee round out the cast.