I once asked Kartik Aaryan’s Christopher Columbus, Luv Ranjan, what separated Kartik from costars in Pyaar Ka Punchnama, and his reply was illuminating. “All the newcomers in Pyaar Ka Punchnama were talented and hardworking. There is no explanation for why Kartik raced forward. Karma is the only explanation.”
After Pyaar Ka Punchnama, Kartik went through the entire gamut of struggle, from knocking on producers’ doors to auditioning for substandard roles, one of them being Subhash Ghai’s Kaanchi where Kartik, billed as Kartik Tiwari, was given the outsider’s treatment. Mishti was the cynosure of Ghai’s eyes, so much so that when the Kaanchi team was called on Kapil Sharma’s show, Ghai, Mishti and Mithun Chakraborty took centre stage while Kartik was called on the set for only a few minutes at the end.
The tables have turned, and how! With the National Award for best actor for Chandu Champion, Kartik is now one of rare stars of his millennial generation to be thus honoured.
In a throwback interview, when I asked his secret formula for success, Kartik had explained, “I travelled in trains, changed clothes for auditions at railway station washrooms, lived in a small room with twelve people and auditioned tirelessly. Once you get a break, the struggle doesn’t end. Despite having Pyaar Ka Punchnama grabbing so many eyeballs and people recognizing me as the Monologue-Guy… it wasn’t easy even then. The struggle to make sure that people see the potential in me and so do the makers, continued….Today when I look back… I feel that the struggle can get tough, but it should not shake your focus. Even today, after being a part of a 100 or a 200-crore club film, I feel even more motivated to work harder ahead. So if any outsider is reading this, let me tell you : do not get tired of hard work. Consistent hard work is the only thing that has helped me to be able to live my dream today.”
In an interview in 2018, Kartik recalled his days of struggle with no acrimony. “I started really young and was the youngest actor to debut as a lead in a movie, and before entering the industry, a senior person had told me once that generally, it takes 7 to 8 years to make your identity in this city, Mumbai. I feel you need to go through your own journey of struggle. It’s important; it’s necessary. It teaches you a lot about life. It makes you value things in life. I used to travel from Navi Mumbai to Andheri for auditions via local train every day. I used to get ready in railway stations’ washroom. But I had no option. I didn’t know anyone in the city. But today I feel happy and proud when I look back at those days.”
Indeed, Kartik Aaryan has much to be proud of.
