Kartik Aaryan says playing murderous dentist Freddy gave him 'disturbing nights': Family helped me return to reality

Kartik Aaryan has opened up about how he dealt with portraying the dark side of his character in the upcoming film Freddy.

Kartik Aaryan is playing a grey character for the first time in his career in the upcoming thriller Freddy. Kartik plays the titular dentist, who moonlights as a killer. The actor says the role did have an effect on his psyche and emotional well-being, giving him sleepless nights. He added that he had to turn to his family and friends to help him get away from that.

Kartik Aaryan in a still from Freddy.

Freddy, which also stars Alaya F, is the journey of Dr Freddy Ginwala, a shy, lonely and socially awkward person who loves playing with his miniature planes and the only friend he has is his pet turtle Hardy.

Talking about his preparation for the intense role, Kartik said, “I literally dwelled in the world of Freddy while shooting the film. It was important for me to remain in that headspace and go to the set and perform. I got disturbing nights because of Freddy but it was important to be focused on the bigger picture and tried to curtail my regular activities while shooting Freddy so that I could focus on the film and the character.”

Cutting off from his regular routine was not easy, the actor added. After the film’s shoot finished, he had to turn to the people close to him to get back into his own mind space. “Post the wrap, I connected with my friends and family who keep me grounded and that helped me return to reality and normalcy again,” he said.

Produced by Balaji Telefilms Ltd, NH Studioz and Northern Lights Films, Freddy is directed by directed by Shashanka Ghosh. The film will release on December 2, on Disney+ Hotstar. Kartik has two more films lined up for release after Freddy. He will be first seen in masala entertainer Shehzada, which is directed by Rohit Dhawan. The film is the official remake of Telugu blockbuster Ala Vaikunthapurramuloo. His next release of 2023 is Sameer Vidwans’ Satyaprem Ki Katha.