Ayushmann Khurrana believes trans women should be in the lead for ‘CKA’ sequel

Actor Ayushmann Khurrana’s latest ‘Chandigarh Kare Aashiqui’ is receiving mostly positive reviews. The film, co-starring Vaani Kapoor, deals with the gender identity theme and revolves around a weight-lifting champion who falls in love with a Zumba trainer, who happens to be a trans woman. Since its release, the movie has also garnered criticism for lack of representation for the trans community in the cast.
Ayushmann, in a recent interview, said the film should ideally be left alone. However, he added, “If there’s a sequel, we should go for representation, a trans girl should be in the lead. It’s just a conversation starter and Vaani believes that as well.” He opened up about the feedback from the trans community that they have received. He said, “If you’re getting validation from the leaders of the community, it says a lot. At the same time, in the beginning, you’ve to make a trailer that gives a lot of intrigue. Of course, you will get a lot of comments from the community. But begin an ally, we’re all learning a lot. This film is just an induction for people, just as the first step.”
He also opened up about the criticism and backlash that the film received ahead of release in another interview. Ayushmann said, “That’ll always happen. It’s important to watch the film first. When the trailer came out, there was some backlash because woke intellectuals are skeptical of Bollywood. The trans community hasn’t been portrayed well since time immemorial. I am glad that after watching the film, the community is happy and they have accepted the film. That’s the biggest validation for us.”