THE REAL DHAMAKA

FROM LIVING IN A HOSTEL TO DRIVING A LAMBORGHINI, KARTIK AARYAN’S SUCCESS STORY IS AS INSPIRING AS IT IS EXPLOSIVE

- Sonali Velinker Kamat

HE RUNS his hands though his hair about as much as I blink, and I blink too much. Between his shiny, long locks and thick beard, there’s an obvious follicle fascination at play here. It prompts me to ask: Does he feel a little bit like a dog after a haircut when he shaves? It is clearly not the question Kartik Aaryan was expecting and he guffaws in response. “I’ll shave if I have to, but I definitely prefer a beard and long hair,” he laughs. I follow up with another oddball question and it sets the tone for our banter. From his recently-acquired Lamborghini to the next incredible thing on his wish list (read on for that revelation), we progress to subjects like nepotism and dreams — both literal and metaphorical.

Kartik returns each serve like a pro. We volley back and forth good-naturedly. When does confidence become overconfidence? When does self-belief become delusion? With Dhamaka debuting on Netflix last month, how does Kartik feel about Kartik? “I’m a confident guy. Maybe I come from a confident family (laughs). When I was just starting out and getting rejected in audition after audition, I used to tell myself, ‘It’s their loss.’ People can call it confidence or overconfidence, but that’s how I am. I wouldn’t have survived (in this industry) without it. Honestly, if I didn’t have this confidence, people would have said I have low self-esteem. I am happy with my self-belief; with my conviction. I make decisions based on my gut and I can’t blame anyone for my choices. The highs are mine and the lows are mine too.”