Ayushmann Khurrana is a native of Chandigarh, and studied at St. John’s High School and DAV College in Chandigarh. He majored in English literature and has done Masters in Mass Communication from School of Communication Studies, Panjab University, in Chandigarh. He has been active in theatre for five years. He was also the founder member of DAV College’s "Aaghaaz" and "Manchtantra", which are active theatre groups in Chandigarh. He has conceptualised and enacted in street plays and won prizes in national fests like Mood Indigo (IIT Bombay), Oasis (Birla Institute of Technology and Science, Pilani) and St. Bedes Simla. He also won a Best Actor award for playing Ashwatthama in Dharamvir Bharati’s Andha Yug.