Bollywood actor Kartik Aaryan is one of the few young actors in Bollywood who has found equal popularity amongst adult and child audiences. However, despite getting a break in 2011, Kartik had to wait for another 7 years to get noticed.
Kartik Aaryan talks about the power of social media, his seven year struggle in the industry, and pressure of staying relevant in Bollywood.
Using social media in a smarter way
The ‘Pati Patni Aur Woh’ actor says that he used social media to get his big break in 2011.
He used to search for auditions on Facebook as it was huge at that time.
Kartik says that he actually used FB in a smarter way as he would type keywords such as ‘auditions’, ‘actors required’, ‘Mumbai’, ‘actor’s call’ to find auditions, something that most others were not doing.
Eventually, Kartik found an audition for his first film, ‘Pyaar Ka Punchnama’. Kartik says that he sent the director, Luv Ranjan, a cocky message saying, ‘I’m the guy you’re looking for'”- and it worked, says the actor.
While the young adults loved the comedy film, it didn’t really convert into stardom for Kartik. He had to wait for many more years before Kartik became a household name in India.
“Sonu Ke Titu Ki Sweety” was the film that changed everything for Kartik Aryan.
Post the stupendous success of the movie, Kartik started getting the kind of scripts he always wanted to work in, and the kind of directors he always wanted to work with. So, it all started for Kartik in 2018.
That seven-year struggle makes Kartik a bit hard to accept that he is now an A list actor in Bollywood: “It is surreal because it’s a full circle for me – it never happened overnight. I didn’t have any connect, I didn’t know anyone in the industry.”
Aaryan says his lack of contacts within the industry and lack of inside knowledge impacted his growth and confidence at the beginning of his career. “It was really tough because initially I didn’t trust anyone because (I was) an outsider. It took me five and half years to actually understand the dynamics and understand how PR, or management, or your team helps you grow more and more.”
After ‘Sonu Ke Titu Ki Sweety’, Kartik gace two hits – ‘Luka Chuppi’ and ‘Pati Patni Aur Woh’ in 2019.
However, Kartik doesn’t take his fame for granted.
“I don’t want my position to go,” says Kartik.
“The challenge now is to maintain it. I used to think that the biggest challenge was actually being a part of this world. But, throughout this journey I’ve realised one thing, that it never stops, you cannot stop. You just have to continue. It’s like a machine which is just on.”
Kartik says he is “competitive” and does keep an eye on his competitors: “Someone else might be working harder (than me), so it’s better to work hard right now. I don’t want my position to go.”
