On Kartik Aaryan’s birthday, Anees Bazmee and Tanuja Chandra analyse his rise: ‘He won’t let success go to his head’
Happy Birthday Kartik Aaryan: The actor’s 2022 has been a successful one, unlike many of his Bollywood compatriots. Amid the success of Anees Bazmee’s Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2, he has Freddy and Shehzada in pipeline, and a Hera Pheri 2 in gestation.
What defines a star? As many, celebs and critics alike, ready their epitaphs of superstardom — Karan Johar, Matt Damon and Jennifer Aniston among them — there are still a few who have that connect with their admirers that translates into fandoms, raving crowds and big openings. Kartik Aaryan is one among the many waiting in the wings who can truly develop into a superstar.
On Kartik Aaryan‘s birthday today, indianexpress.com spoke to two filmmakers who have witnessed the graph of this middle-class boy from Gwalior who came to Mumbai to pursue a degree in engineering only so he can chase his dream of becoming an actor. Kartik has not only established himself today, but has also turned his story into an inspiration for all aspiring actors from India’s heartland. But what worked for Kartik when lakhs try and fail to make it in a highly demanding film industry?
Kartik’s Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2 director Anees Bazmee calls the actor a very “mehnati ladka” (hard working boy).
“After watching Pyaar Ka Punchnama, I knew Kartik was a good actor. And I love working with new actors, so I had asked my team to get me his contact details. I had spoken to him and appreciated his work. He remembered that. So when I offered him this film, he was in. He is a very jovial person, always laughing and making others laugh. He is also great at making connections, I remember how he used to meet me so often over teas at my office, while we were still writing Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2, so we both become comfortable with each other and understand our tuning.”
Anees calls Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2 a turning point in the actor’s career and what he does after this will have significant impacts on his work. He says, “Kartik is very hard working, bohot mehnati ladka hai (He’s a very hard working boy). Bhool Bhulaiya 2 was a very important film for him, post pandemic films were not working, but with the grace of God, the film worked wonders. Everybody knows he is a good actor, almost all his films have been superhits, but this one in particular is a turning point in his journey.”
Anees has worked with some of the biggest stars of Bollywood, with actors like Salman Khan, Akshay Kumar, Ajay Devgn, Anil Kapoor, among others, so was he able to draw a comparison between them and Kartik? “There is a similarity between them and him, they all are very hard working, they really don’t take their audiences and work for granted,” says Anees.
Anees also has a word of caution for the young star, he wants him to stay grounded and make sharp decision when it comes to choosing scripts and people he’ll work with. “I believe in one thing very firmly, aap jis kursi pe baithe hai, woh fluke se nahi milti (the chair you’re sitting on has not come by fluke). You work very hard for it and it has not come to you accidentally either, you deserve it. I have worked with the biggest stars — Akshay, Ajay… and I have realised that if you work even a little bit hard then it’ll bear fruits. Kartik is a very focused boy and he’s grounded too, and that’s what also makes him different.”
Anees has been tracking Kartik’s work from his very first film, and has called him several times to give feedback and appreciate his work, but did he ever predict this kind of growth? The filmmaker says, “I knew it, aaj nahi toh kal, kal nahi toh parso (if not today then tomorrow, if not tomorrow then day after), he’d become a big star because he is a good actor. It is important to be a good actor first, only then stardom follows. If you’ve got stardom and if you’re not a good actor, it won’t last. It is a crucial time for him now, he has to make the right choices. This is the time that a an actor’s decisions matter. Every decision he makes will be of significance, the stories he picks, the people he chooses to work with. Without naming anyone, I’ve seen the biggest people in the industry who have made wrong decision at this point in their career and have paid a heavy price for it too, are still paying a price for it. He is a sharp boy, and hopefully he’ll take good decisions, he’ll not let this success go to his head, that will be important.”
Tanuja Chandra, who directed Kartik for her short film Silvat (2016), calls him a keen and observant actor. In his decade long career, Silvat is his only short film. On being asked how she saw Kartik as an actor, she directed him at a time when he was very raw and new in the profession, did she every predict that Kartik would become an actor of this standing? Tanuja says, “I enjoyed working with Kartik especially because it was a serious, romantic role which he hadn’t done before. He had a tenderness in his performance and a truthfulness in his eyes which was lovely.” According to Tanuja, when she sees him on screen today, all she can think of is, “I hope he keeps pushing his own limits and plays as many different kinds of characters as he possibly can.”
On directing Kartik, Tanuja reminisces how Kartik was always keen and followed instructions diligently. She says, “He follows direction diligently which is great. He listens with a keenness and then brings all that he feels into his acting. I really enjoyed our experience together and viewers too liked him very much in Silvat.” Tanuja also remembers how Kartik would be very observant on set, she shares, “I would at times act some bits out and he would watch and absorb with great attention. At times he would pick up just the tone of my voice and work with that.
News Source:- The Indian EXPRESS
