He is known for his comic timing in films such as "Dangal", "Lukka Chuppi", "Stree" and "Bala", but Aparshakti Khurana surprises you when he says he does not have a great sense of humour.

If comedy has dominated his filmography so far -- although he impressed with the odd emotional act in "Street Dancer 3D" -- the actor says it was not a conscious decision to play the funnyman all along.

"It just happened. I think in real life I don't have a great sense of humour. I used to have PJs... all bad jokes. Thankfully, I have some really good lines in my films to add a good sense of humour in the films, but otherwise my sense of humour is very word play," he tells IANS.

"Talking about why comedy (is) more (in his filmograpohy), it was not a conscious effort. Let's be honest, beggars can't be choosers. I started my journey with whatever I got on my plate. I took it with arms wide open. Even today, I don't think an actor in my space has a lot of choices to make. Whatever comes your way you do it," he says.

Aparshakti feels that his role in "Street Dancer 3D" helped him move out of the comic zone.

"Having said that 'Street Dancer' is something that helped me to come out of the comedy zone and I could strike an emotional chord. People did relate to that character and had a sentimental moment. So, that makes me believe that I am not here only for comedy. I can also do serious stuff as well," he says.

The actor says there has been a shift in the way the audience watches films.

"There has been such a paradigm shift in the way we watch films or talk about our actors. There is nothing called a villain anymore," he says.

Aparshakti is all geared up for "Helmet", his first film as a solo lead. The film is a satire on the ground reality in the country, where people feel awkward while buying and talking about condoms. The film tries to highlight the message in a funny manner without being preachy.

Does Bollywood have a herd mentality, considering the recent surge in socially relevant films? "It (a socially-relevant theme) just makes your script a little more relevant. That's about it. Otherwise there is no math that you need this particular element (refers to social message). At the end of the day it will always be about good storytelling, tight script. You can have fun, if it's funny. You can get creeped out if it is a suspense thriller or a horror film. If you have that you are home. Of course, if the film has a social element it is just a cherry on the cake. People can go home with a little message," he says.

"It is more important to have a nice narrative, script, and an apt form of storytelling. It does not matter if it has a social message or not," he concludes.

(Durga Chakravarty can be contacted at durga.c@ians.in)