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\n\tBollywood star Ayushmann Khurrana<\/a> is riding high on the success of \u201cThamma<\/a>,\u201d his first festive release that crossed the INR 100 crore mark ($11.1 million) at the box office, marking his fifth film to achieve the milestone and his biggest opener to date. The film is the latest entry in Maddock Films<\/a>\u2018 horror-comedy universe.<\/p>\n \n\tThe actor, long known for championing realistic, slice-of-life cinema, is now pivoting toward wholesome family entertainment with a slate of four upcoming projects.<\/p>\n \n\t\u201cThe texture of the theatricals has changed post-pandemic, and in such a scenario, this success feels hugely affirming,\u201d Khurrana tells Variety<\/em>. \u201cMy heart is full of gratitude that both \u2018Dream Girl 2\u2019 and \u2018Thamma\u2019 were successful. I\u2019m thrilled to be entering into 2026 with two consecutive 100 crore hits.\u201d<\/p>\n \n\tLeading his 2026 lineup is \u201cPati Patni Aur Woh Do,\u201d which Khurrana describes as \u201ca clean family comedy, and there is always a space for clean family comedies.\u201d The film draws inspiration from the 1978 hit starring Sanjeev Kumar and is backed by BR Chopra Films, headed by Juno Chopra.<\/p>\n \n\tKhurrana expresses particular enthusiasm for his collaboration with filmmaker Sooraj Barjatya, known for his family-oriented films. \u201cFor his stature, he\u2019s a very simple man, very humble and hardworking at the same time,\u201d the actor says. \u201cWhat inspires me most about him is that he\u2019s a true student of cinema and works like a nerd. I\u2019m a true fan boy of his kind of family entertainers, he\u2019s a master of this genre and there is true dearth of this genre. No one does it better than Sooraj sir.\u201d<\/p>\n \n\tThe Barjatya project represents a departure from Khurrana\u2019s typical roles. \u201cWhat excites me most about his film is that the hero isn\u2019t just one character, the entire family takes centre stage in his family entertainers,\u201d he explains. \u201cI usually enjoy playing characters who are flawed and evolve over time, but this film is different \u2013 it celebrates a wholesome, ideal family as the hero.\u201d<\/p>\n