Kartik Aaryan talks about his struggle in Humans of Bombay post: ‘I couldn’t afford a portfolio, would crop my face out of group photos’

Even after his debut film Pyaar Ka Punchnama (2011) was a success at the box office, Kartik Aaryan did not get a lot of offers.

Kartik Aaryan, who is riding on the success of back-to-back hits, is a hot favourite right now, with filmmakers queuing up outside his door. However, his journey has not been easy and he has witnessed his fair share of struggles.

Kartik Aaryan, who made his debut with Pyaar Ka Punchnama, opened up about his struggle.

In an interaction with Humans Of Bombay, Kartik revealed that he realised his acting dreams after watching Shah Rukh Khan in Baazigar. “I was born in the small town of Gwalior. My parents were in the medical field & I was going to do engineering. But in 9th grade, I saw Baazigar & I knew I wanted to be on the other side of the screen,” he said.

To set his acting career in motion, Kartik decided to shift base to Mumbai and go to college there. “Luckily I got into a college in Navi Mumbai. I stayed in a hostel & searched for auditions. I had no contacts, so I’d type keywords like, ‘Actor Needed’ on Facebook. I’d travel for 6 hours 3-4 times a week for auditions. At times, I’d be rejected from outside the studio because I didn’t ‘look the part’. But I still had hope,” he said.

It was an advertisement for an audition that led Kartik to bag Pyaar Ka Punchnama. “They liked me & auditioned me many times. My final audition script was the monologue that then became my identity! Finally, when I got the role, I was at Andheri station & immediately called my mom! She couldn’t believe it! After 2 & a half years of struggle, what I had imagined as a possibility, was now a reality.”

Despite Pyaar Ka Punchnama being a sleeper hit, Kartik was not immediately inundated with offers. “I stayed in the same flat with 12 boys till my third film! At the time, my mom was adamant I finish my degree, so while shooting, I gave my exams—& people in the exam hall were clicking photos with me! But I understood that she wanted my future to be secure.”

However, the success of Sonu Ke Titu Ki Sweety turned things around for Kartik. “Life has come full circle now—recently when I was in Gwalior, I was invited to my school as chief guest & kids were chanting my name! It was surreal!” he said.

Right now, Kartik has a slew of interesting projects in his kitty, including Imtiaz Ali’s Love Aaj Kal sequel, Anees Bazmee’s Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2 and Collin D’Cunha’s Dostana 2. He will be seen next on the big screen in Mudassar Aziz’s Pati Patni Aur Woh, alongside Bhumi Pednekar and Ananya Panday.

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