How has the rise of social media stars influenced the definition of stardom in Bollywood?

Ayushmann Khurrana states that the emergence of influencers and YouTubers has changed the concept of stardom by creating multiple audiences across different entertainment platforms.

Why is the authenticity of a film's script important for its success according to Ayushmann Khurrana?

He believes that a film's script and authenticity are essential to its theatrical success because audiences today prioritize relatable and genuine storytelling over mere star power.

What types of films does Ayushmann Khurrana advocate for in the current cinematic landscape?

He advocates for more small-budget films that connect with people, like 'Hanuman Ansh' and 'Obsession', emphasizing the need for budget-friendly storytelling that resonates with audiences.

Ayushmann Khurrana says stardom is no longer an ‘exclusive club’ in Bollywood due to rise of YouTubers and influencers

Ayushmann Khurrana called stardom ‘relative’ while speaking about the Bollywood landscape at the FICCI Frames event in Mumbai.

Published on: Sep 30, 2026, 10:05:16 IST

By Abhimanyu Mathur

Prefer HTon Google

Share via

Copy link

Actor Ayushmann Khurrana believes stardom is no longer an ‘exclusive club’ like it used to be, because of the emergence of social media stars. The actor also said a film's script and authenticity are now more important to its theatrical success. Ayushmann attributed the change to the audience while speaking at FICCI Frames 2026 in Mumbai on Tuesday.

Ayushmann Khurrana at the FICCI FRAMES 2026 event at the Grand Hyatt, Santacruz, in Mumbai on Tuesday. (ANI Photo) (Sandip Mahankal )

‘Stardom is no longer exclusive’

At the inaugural day of the 2026 FICCI Frames, Ayushmann participated in a session titled 'Cinema at Crossroads - The Rules of the Big Screen', where he said that the definition of stardom has changed with the emergence of influencers and YouTubers, who have created their own audience base.

"We are dwelling in multiple universes, where there are multiple worlds of entertainment and there are multiple stars of each world, be it influencers, or YouTubers, etc. There are certain stars who are big and you probably don't know about them and there are certain people who know about them," Ayushmann said.

Deep Dive

Ask HT

The actor also said that the increase in significance of scripts in mainstream Bollywood has helped diminish the exclusivity of stardom. "So, stardom is relative and script is the star. It is not one size fits all... It used to be exclusive club earlier but not anymore," he added.

Ayushmann also said he has always believed that the story should be bigger than the actor or the star, as he spoke about his upcoming film, Udta Teer, a spy comedy. “I'm going back to my core, which is authenticity. If we give authentic subject to people that's a good draw. I believe in my next film, Udta Teer it is like a reverse uno stuff but I'm excited about it as I'm going back to my core. It is my genre,” he added.

The session also had filmmaker Sriram Raghavan and Denzil Dias, VP and Managing Director, India Theatrical at Warner Bros Discovery on stage with Ayushmann.

About Udta Teer, Ayushmann's next

Udta Teer revolves around a Pakistani spy named Bilal Ahmad (Ayushmann), who enters India and suffers from memory loss after an accident, mistakenly believing he is an Indian spy. The film also stars Sara Ali Khan, along with an ensemble cast including Rahul Bose, Ram Kapoor, Suhail Nayyar, Gulshan Grover, Raghubir Yadav, Supriya Pilgaonkar, Smita Tambe, and the late Mukul Dev, among others. It is Mukul Dev's final posthumous performance.

Produced by Karan Johar, Adar Poonawalla, Apoorva Mehta, Guneet Monga Kapoor and Achin Jain, Udta Teer is set to release in cinemas on October 9.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Abhimanyu Mathur
Abhimanyu Mathur is Deputy Editor, Entertainment at Hindustan Times. With almost 15 years of experience in writing about everything from films and TV shows to cricket matches and elections, he inhales and exhales pop culture and news. Currently, he watches movies and TV shows and talks to celebrities for a living, while occasionally writing about them as well. A journalism graduate of Delhi College of Arts and Commerce, Delhi University, Abhimanyu began his career with Hindustan Times at the age of 20, swapping classrooms for newsrooms at an early age. He began his journey in the early days of digital journalism, later switching to the madness of print journalism. Work has led him to far off places like Japan and Jordan, as well as to the interiors of Haryana and the Indo-Pak border. He dabbled in city reporting in places like Meerut, Gurgaon, and Delhi, covered the Olympics and Cricket World Cups, before finding his calling in entertainment and lifestyle during the pandemic. A Rotten Tomatoes Certified Film Critic, he is equally at home covering stories on ground as he is interviewing celebrities and studios, and sometimes prefers to shepherd teams in delivering traffic through the day. Even as his role has evolved from reporter to supervisor over the years, his first love remains writing (and of late, talking on camera). With a good understanding of cinema and its trends, and a keen eye for detail, he continues to spark conversations around showbiz for readers around the world.Read More

Catch every big hit, every wicket with Crickit, a one stop destination for Live Scores, Match Stats, Infographics & much more. Explore now!.

Get more updates from Bollywood, Taylor Swift, Hollywood, Music and Web Series along with Latest Entertainment News at Hindustan Times.