Avinash Tiwary says he gets more praise for shirtless scenes from men than women: 'All gym bros send DMs' | Interview

ACtor Avinash Tiwary has been a heartthrob ever so since girls swooned o'er him in Laila Majnu. Since the shoot’s re-release, the worker has also found mainstream success, delivering hits the like Madgaon Express and appearing in big films like O Romeo. As he gets ready for his next release - Ginny Wedss Sunny 2 - fans note that this is his third film where the actor has taken off his shirt, this time as he plays a pehelwan (Indian wrestler). And while one would assume this must be getting him a lot of female attention, Avinash reveals it isn’t.In a chat with Hindustan Times, Avinash talks about Ginny Wedss Sunny 2, his role, the ‘myth’ of his female fan following, and his candid thoughts on marriage.Avinash Tiwary on female attentionAs we ask if producers have a mandate for him to take off his shirt in films now, a flustered Avinash says he has been shirtless in only two films. That is, until his co-star Medha Shankr corrects him by reminding him of Madgaon Express. “That’s three films, then,” says Avinash, adding, “None of them was shown with a desirability factor. Even in O’Romeo, it was a macho thing.”And contrary to what people think, the actor says he does not get too much attention from women in these scenes. “I think I got more (social media) DMs from men for that than from women. All the gym bros said, ‘Nice body, bro!’.” We ask if the female attention came more for a romantic film like Laila Majnu, and he says, “Yes, that one where the poor boy did not have one muscle.” Avinash quips, “In this one, he is a pehelwan, so there is a shirtless scene in the akhara. But now I feel I want to do one just for desirability. I want to have a scene where I come out, get into a pool, come out and have girls look at me.”‘I wouldn’t have minded getting married 5 years ago’Ginny Wedss Sunny 2 is about a wedding gone wrong as both the bride and groom lie to get the match fixed. When asked about the similarities he has with his character Sunny, Avinash sheepishly admits that the ‘pressure’ of getting married is one of them. “Before family, I had put pressure on myself to get married. I genuinely wanted to get married. I really liked the idea of family, and I wanted to have kids. But when it doesn’t happen in life, a person moves on and finds new milestones. So, my journey became different. But your family likes to remind you that you are not going where you wanted to. That is bothersome sometimes,” he says.Avinash says he believes in the institution of marriage, but the world increasingly does not. “The society we are living in today, in that, marriages will become only important if you want a family and kids. Then you need this institution of marriage, because it provides that. I wouldn’t have minded getting married 5-10 years ago, because I was in that space. And even today, if I desire it, it is for these very reasons,” he feels.Written and directed by Prasshant Jha, Ginny Wedss Sunny 2 is a spiritual sequel to Ginny Weds Sunny (2020). Apart from Avinash and Medha, the film also stars Sudhir Pandey, Lillete Dubey, and Govind Namdev. It releases in theatres on April 24.