Aayush says why 'Ruslaan' will set industry precedent: 'Producers don't need big budgets'

Aayush Sharma, who is all geared up for his upcoming action entertainer 'Ruslaan' shared that a small-budget project like this will set up precedence in the industry that one does not need a huge amount for a successful project.

In an exclusive interaction with IANS, Aayush talked about working with a new production house and what took it so long for him to say yes to 'Ruslaan'.

“There is always a desire to deliver the film even on a limited budget. ‘Ruslaan’, I believe, will set a precedent that producers don't require Rs 100-200 crore to make a film. You can do it with a much lesser budget,” Aayush told IANS.

On what took him time to say yes to 'Ruslaan', Aayush said that the movie was in the pipeline while he was shooting 'Antim'.

“This film is a brainchild of very ambitious people and preparing this film in a proper manner took a lot of time. When you make very medium to small-budget films, maximum time goes in trying to make sure you don't go beyond a certain budget. This was a very taxing film,” the actor said.

He said the 'Ruslaan' has seven different types of action sequences.

“Karan had a very ambitious plan for the film and we travelled abroad. It took us a lot of time because Karan wanted the best. He wanted the action in a certain way. He also wanted Sushrii Shreya Mishraa’s character in a certain way, I am fighting in a certain way, story narrative is also in a certain way,” the actor said.

Earlier, 'Ruslaan' was scheduled to be released in January 2024 but will now be released on April 26. It is produced by Sri Sathya Sai Arts and directed by Karan L Butani and stars Sushrii Shreya Mishraa, alongside Aayush. The film also stars Jagapathi Babu, and Vidya Malvade.

“We stopped filming in last August-September. The process of post-production which is an important thing kept delaying the film. We kept working on it regularly. Karan had a very valid point to say -- 'Our film is too small in budget, but nobody checks a budget before they watch any film. They want to experience the theatrical experience,” he said.

Talking about the biggest challenge – for a limited-budget film – the actor said that the team sometimes “begged” studios to give them free VFX and BGM.

On stepping out of his family's production house -- 'Salman Khan Films' (SKF), the actor said that he is coming out of his home to see the real world and learn.

Aayush, who is married to Bollywood's 'Bhaijaan' Salman Khan's younger sister Arpita, made his acting debut in 2018 with the romantic comedy 'Loveyatri'. The film also featured Warina Hussain and was produced by Salman under SKF.

“Staying at a still lake starts to develop an odour. A river always flows. As humans, we all need to flow. I have no apprehensions about working with my home production house but constantly working for the same production house and not opening doors to the real world is not good either,” Aayush told IANS.

He said that by being in one place, no actor can learn.

“Today, I can talk about production or VFX. I came out of my production house because I only used to do one thing there,” said the 33-year-old actor.

He said that after moving out, Karan L Butani gave him an opportunity. “Karan is like a brother to me. We not only discuss acting but we discuss production and direction as well. I get to learn a lot from him. So, it becomes important for me to go out and learn,” the actor said, who was last seen in the 2021 movie 'Antim' (produced by SKF).

He said that children must always leave their comfort zone (home) after a certain age, go out and learn about the real world.

“I think this is that phase for me where I have come out of my family, and home, and am experiencing the real world. I am learning and also in the process of becoming myself,” the actor said.