If there’s one actor, whose success story is the stuff of blockbusters, it’s definitely Kartik Aaryan. The young boy from Gwalior, went through an extended struggle to make it at the movies. But once he did, the outsider received immense love and recognition. Good looks mixed with talent and a humble persona has made him the poster boy of millennials. A determined Kartik balanced attending engineering lectures with giving auditions till he finally made his acting debut with Pyaar Ka Punchnama (2011). The small-town boy was on his way to realise his big dreams. His popularity soared with Pyaar Ka Punchnama 2 (2015) and Sonu Ke Titu Ki Sweety (2018) – his lover boy charm having a pan-India appeal. His latest release Love Aaj Kal won him praise for his double take while Pati Patni Aur Woh is yet another superhit in his profile. With biggies like Anees Bazmee’s Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2 and Karan Johar’s Dostana 2 in the pipeline, there’s no denying that Kartik Aaryan has slalomed into the elite showbiz club…
Love Aaj Kal didn’t do as expected. What did it teach you?
Love Aaj Kal has been a journey like no other. Imtiaz Ali sir changed
me as an actor. He’s a Sufi in his outlook. Playing two characters in a film could have been difficult. But he made it easy. For both my characters, Veer and Raghu, we had separate body language classes. I had to lose 10 kilos for Raghu, who’s in school. I had to be lanky while shooting those portions.Through conversations, through workshops, through his direction, I learnt a lot from him. Every day was a new learning.
Are you romantic in real life as in your films?
At heart, I’m a romantic. In a relationship, I’d do anything to make the other person smile. I’d keep gifting her things. It could be the biggest of things or the smallest of them. The thought is all that matters. Even if it’s gifting her a rose, a chocolate, toffees… every day to make her feel happy and special. I love it when a loved one is happy and there’s a smile on their face. That’s my idea of love.
You’ve been romantically linked with all your co-stars – Sara Ali Khan, Ananya Panday and now Janhvi Kapoor. What’s the truth?
If there’s a rumour linking me to a co-star, I don’t know what to say about it. It’s not in my hands.
Whom are you seeing – Ananya or Janhvi?
Technically, I’m single. I am a romantic person but currently only interested in work. (Laughs) I only talk about my work and professional life. Okay, tell us about Janhvi. She’s a great co-star. I’ve done just one schedule of Dostana 2 with her. Our next schedule is in London, the last one was in Patiala. I’m looking forward to starting the second one. Janhvi’s a quiet person but once she opens up, you want to spend time with her. That’s a quality she has. We bonded well during our shoot. I hope people like Dostana 2.
Did you ever imagine this kind of success?
You do dream about such days. Then one day when it finally happens it feels unreal. As a child, I’ve witnessed the difficult journeys of both my parents. That inspired me. Hence, I was never let down by failures. I learnt from them and tried to do better each time. Once you’re content, your journey ends. I relish my journey. I’m glad I’m still not content. I am constantly working. Every second for me counts. The smallest of things and the biggest of things matter to me.
Are you a natural or method actor?
You’re an outsider who’s made it. What’s your take on nepotism?
Of course, nepotism exists big time here and outside. Initially, you don’t get the chances. You don’t get to meet the right people as you don’t know anyone in the industry. It’s a task to crack it or be in the same room as the star kids. It’s always difficult for an outsider in terms of getting his/her first break and then to get the second and the third. But at the end of the day, your hard work and talent sees you through. I’m blessed that the industry welcomed me. I am from Gwalior. I feared my parents wouldn’t allow me to leave the place. So I told them I’m going to Mumbai to study engineering. I’m proud of my struggle because what it has taught me, no school would have been able to. You have to create your own path. It’s a different journey for each person. I value everything because it hasn’t come easy to me. Today, filmmakers are just a phone call away. Earlier getting their numbers was also a big deal.
Do you fear success can go to your head?
No. I’ve always believed in myself. When I was a struggler that confidence was rubbished by people saying, ‘Arre paagal hai’. Today it can be seen as ‘overconfidence’. When people you trust begin to think like that about you it’s sad. At the end of the day we’re just humans,
not ‘stars’.
You can take the boy out of a small-town but you cannot take the small town out of the boy. Does that hold true for you?
Yeah. I’m a complete small-town boy. I don’t know whether that’s good or derogatory. I’ve seen so much of life because I’m from Gwalior. I didn’t live in a pampered bubble. Being a small-town boy has been my strength.
Will you do films beyond the rom-com genre?
I want to do action after this. I love thrillers. My favourite series is Breaking Bad. I’m a diehard fan of Game Of Thrones. I’d love to do something like that. But I love comedies as well. I loved playing Sonu (Sonu Ke Titu Ki Sweety), Guddu Shukla from Luka Chuppi or Chintu Tyagi from Pati Patni Aur Woh and now Raghu and Veer from Love Aaj Kal.
I also want to do negative characters as in films like Baazigar and Darr. I want
to attempt all genres.
You’re going to start Bhool Bhulaiyaa now...
I can’t wait to go on the sets of Bhool Bhulaiyaa. Anees (Bazmee) sir and the team have had several meetings already. There’s great energy amongst us. Dostana 2 is something, which will push the envelope.
You’ve become the go-to-guy for filmmakers. How do you analyse that?
I’m happy about it. For the first time in the last two years, I’m facing date issues. For the last eight years, I had all the dates available and they were hardly needed. I’m gathering momentum. But I don’t want to hamper the quality of my work. Box-office figures should be maintained along with your calibre as an actor.
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