ANYTHING but love

KARTIK AARYAN TALKS CANDIDLY ON THAT BIG FAT THING CALLED LOVE AND ALSO LOOKS BACK WITH AFFECTION AT HIS SISTER'S MARRIAGE AND DISCUSSES HIS OWN PLANS IN CONVERSATION

- JITESH PILLAAI

In an industry that runs on surnames, studio legacies and carefully choreographed launches, Kartik Aaryan arrived armed with little more than ambition, persistence and a smile that could disarm cynics.

No godfather, no safety net, just a boy from Gwalior who memorised monologues and refused to exit the frame.

Years later, he stands as Bollywood's most polite disruptor: the outsider who didn't knock on the door so much as wait patiently until it swung open, then walked in and rearranged the furniture.

From the surprise cultural phenomenon of Sonu Ke Titu Ki Sweety to the box-office muscle of Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2 and Satyaprem Ki Katha, Kartik has quietly built a resume that studios now chase. He's the rare contemporary star who can headline a mass entertainer one Friday and a relationship drama the next, making the establishment mildly nervous and the trade distinctly attentive. Producers don't just want him; they need him. What's endearing is that the stardom still seems to catch him off-guard. He continues to speak of sharing rooms with actors he once watched from the back rows, as if it's all happening to someone else. Off screen, life has offered its own celebrations, his sister's recent wedding bringing a moment of unfiltered joy and grounding amidst the frenzy. Kartik Aaryan isn't just having a moment. He's rewriting the rulebook, one smile, one hit, and one improbable leap at a time. Excerpts from an engaging conversation...

My first question to you is about your latest film Tu Meri Main Tera Main Tera Tu Meri. You've worked with director Sameer Vidwans earlier on Satyaprem Ki Katha, so how has your relationship evolved?

The beautiful film he made,