EXCLUSIVE! Kartik Aaryan recalls his struggling days: I changed clothes for auditions at railway station washrooms

From Pyaar Ka Punchnama in 2011 to Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2 in 2022, Kartik Aaryan’s rise to the top has been a textbook illustration on self-actualization. With no godfather and certainly no self-generated scandals Kartik has reached where no man, except Rajesh Khanna, has gone before. As Kartik turns a year older, the actor gets candid about his struggling days and love from the audience in an exclusive conversation with Firstpost.

One more year added to your life and a very significant year it has been. How do you look back on the year that was?

As you’ve already said, it was a very significant year indeed. 2022 has surely been yet another game-changing year for me as an actor. The stupendous success of Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2 and the audiences’ love for the movie and my character Rooh Baba was truly the highlight of this year for me.

Feeling on top of the world?

Every artist lives for this day, for this appreciation from fans and masses. But what made it extra special was that post-pandemic, Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2 actually managed to bring the masses back to the theatres. While at the cinemas, the box-office success made me happy, my other release, Freddy which will be an OTT release, has me exploring a very unusual role, which satisfies the artiste in me as well.

So an exceptional year in every way?

There are so many different and interesting films that I have been shooting for or many more exciting scripts coming my way, that I can say - as an actor this year has been a very wholesome year. And I’m truly grateful for this exceptional year.

As an outsider how did you crack the Bollywood code so successfully?

Honestly, there is no code to crack in Bollywood. Especially for an outsider, there are no sure-shot written formulae to make it big in this industry. But yes, there are certain ground rules that one has to follow to make sure that the journey is smooth. Like a horse with blinders on, I was only focused on my goal and worked hard towards that. I knew beforehand that the struggle would be massive. But when you really are a part of that struggle, one has to be patient and determined at all times.

You have been through all the struggles that one associates with an outsider in Bollywood?

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.

How do you see your days of struggle as you look back?

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 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.

Subhash K Jha is a Patna-based film critic who has been writing about Bollywood for long enough to know the industry inside out. He tweets at @SubhashK_Jha.

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