Actor Kartik Aaryan had a rather interesting year with Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2 and Freddy, which released last Friday (December 2) on Disney+ Hotstar. The second instalment in the Bhool Bhulaiyaa series saw him play Rooh Baba, who is revered as a ghost buster. Having raked in more than Rs 250 crore worldwide, it emerged as one of the biggest hits of the year and won Kartik good reviews for his comic timing and taking the baton from actor Akshay Kumar ahead with aplomb. His latest outing Freddy sees him as a shy and lonely dentist who turns out to be an obsessed and toxic lover. The thriller is also winning him a lot of praises for an avatar that he has never donned before.
So, while for some, he has emerged as the top actor of the year, others believe that he has become Bollywood’s blue-eyed boy and the most sought-after actor for filmmakers today solely due to his ability to bring in multitudes of audience to the theatre at a time when the industry is going through a rough phase.
In an exclusive chat with News18, the new-age hero acknowledges all the epithets that are being associated with him and candidly says, “I’ve become the number one choice for a lot of filmmakers and I want it to continue. It might sound like I’m a bit arrogant or that I’ve become over-confident but it motivates me as well.”
At present, he has a chock-o-block schedule and his kitty is filled with a slew of big-ticket films such as Shehzada, Satyaprem Ki Katha, Captain India and Hera Pheri 3. And Kartik is quite sure that 2023 will also prove to be another successful year for him. “I’ve always said that I want to become the number one actor. My aim is for filmmakers to believe that nobody can do a part better than me.” The 32-year-old further adds, “I want ki mere alaava koi aur actors unko na dikhe. I think I’m reaching there. And by next year, there won’t be any other option but me (as their first choice for films),” he says matter-of-factly.
But the 32-year-old’s ambition is not just limited to the Hindi film industry. At a time when pan-Indian films are in vogue and a bunch of his peers are foraying into various other industries, Kartik says that he has no qualms about trying his hands at south films either. “I’m open to doing films in any language but it completely depends on the script, but I would love to do a Telugu or a Tamil film,” remarks the actor, who will next be seen in Shehzada, the Hindi remake of superstar Allu Arjun starrer Telugu film Ala Vaikunthapurramuloo (2020).
While his success as an actor is no secret to his fans and audience, his love life has left many intrigued. Many of his contemporaries might be tying the knot one after the others but Kartik feels that this is his time to concentrate on his career. He further tells us though he’s open to love, there’s no pressure from his family to get married as of now. “My mom wants me to work for the next three to four years before I settle down. She doesn’t want me to get distracted. I’m also focusing on my work currently. Thankfully, there’s no pressure from them yet. Having said that, there’s definitely room for love in my life,” he says with a laugh.
