Insiders vs outsiders, stars vs non-stars, insiders vs outsiders – the debate are on. However, one outsider, who is not a star kid and had no connections in Bollywood when he first entered the glamour world more than a decade ago, has quietly gone ahead and established himself among the country’s Top-10 stars and superstars.
Kartik Aaryan is the young man who went from being known as “that monologue boy” to becoming one of the industry’s most dependable actors with box office appeal.
Kartik Aaryan is one of the most successful new stars in town, thanks to his film Sonu Ke Titu Ki Sweety. His two previous films, Pyaar Ka Punchnama and its sequel, Pyaar Ka Punchnama 2, were successful before this one. He claims that, despite being an outsider, he never had a Plan B in place in a new interview.
He began his career in 2011 with Pyaar Ka Punchnama, but despite its box office success, he claims he was overlooked. Even after Pyaar Ka Punchnama 2 became a hit in 2015, the storey remained unchanged. The bright-eyed boy, who had travelled from Gwalior to the city of dreams, refused to give up. Finally, Sonu Ke Titu Ki Sweety proved to be the game-changer, propelling Kartik Aaryan to stardom. He gets right to work. Aaryan is quick, professional, and charming, and he knows exactly what is expected of him while doing so. Let’s move on to the star.
But it wasn’t easy for Gwalior’s 29-year-old boy. Kartik was dreamy-eyed when it came to the world of Bollywood, coming from a family of doctors and someone who was pursuing an engineering degree in biotechnology. That was also evident in one of the photos he shared on social media, in which he was all giddy over Chak De! girl Sagarika Ghatge and even wondered if he would be able to meet Shah Rukh Khan, the show’s superstar.
This was also when Kartik began to receive brand endorsements, and he began to focus more on developing his brand and image. He’d spent nearly half a decade in the industry and had learned that to survive and shine, and he’d have to manage his sprint rather than relying on others to propel him to stardom.
Well, the results were evident, as his next film, Sonu Ke Titu Ki Sweety, was a blockbuster that broke the 100 crore club. He was the show’s ‘dost,’ someone who manipulates his best friend’s and girlfriend’s relationship. In the storey, he didn’t even have his girlfriend. This could have gone either way; after all, stories are notorious for changing overnight after appearing on a storyboard in a different light. But none of that happened, and Kartik received the lion’s share of all the awards and accolades. That was the turning point because, in addition to enticing the youth, the young star had also managed to penetrate the family audiences this time.
This was evident in his next single, Luka Chuppi, which became another major hit. It had the potential to become a 100-crore-grossing hit, but it just fell short. With consistent box office openings and continued success, it was time for Kartik to complete the hat-trick with Pati Patni Aur Woh, his next release in the same year. Many people didn’t think this movie would go all out for the kill. That did happen, as yet another superhit was earned, though the century mark was missed by a whisker once more. With several box office hits and close to a dozen prestigious grand endorsements under his belt, he has certainly come a long way since then.
Kartik, like any other struggling actor new to the industry with no backing, hopped from one audition to the next. One of his first jobs, according to legend, was to hold a placard in the frame and smile for the camera for a nanosecond before it moved on to the next kid in line. After a few more still and video advertisements, he landed Pyaar Ka Punchnama, a three-hero and three-heroine film.
