It’s been a dream debut in more ways than one for young Ayushmann Khurana. After his engaging turn in Vicky Donor, Ayushmann’s been garnering praise from the likes of Akshay Kumar, Farah Khan and Sajid Khan. And if you’re wondering how Ayushmann has managed to get such a diverse fan base, the common factor binding them all is John Abraham.

“It was John who put his faith in Ayushmann and now that he has done well, the talent-starved industry is putting its money on the Vicky Donor actor,” says a tradewallah. “However, while Akki, Farah and Sajid have only good things to say about Ayushmann, there hasn’t been a concrete offer yet from any of these bigwigs.” Of course, Ayushmann has interacted with all of these personalities in his former avatar as a popular TV show host. But being a part of the same industry has changed those equations a bit. Ayushmann says the attention is very welcome indeed. “Yes, John told me about all that (about being praised by Akki et al). I’m glad they’ve spoken about me,” he says.