Kartik Aaryan opens up about what a memorable year he’s had at the movies this year and his upcoming work.
It is no secret that actor Kartik Aaryan has had a rather eventful year. At a time when the Hindi film industry was witnessing an abysmal lull with hardly any movies creating ripples at the box office, Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2 came in and set the cash registers ringing and emerged as one of the biggest grosser of the year. And his second outing this year, Freddy, which was released on Disney+ Hotstar early this month, has been garnering him rave reviews for his performance as a shy and lonely dentist who turns out to be a toxic and obsessed lover.
Talking about the success of Freddy, Kartik exclusively tells News18, “I’m just loving it and enjoying every bit of it. Freddy is doing wonders. I’m so glad that this is happening and the fact that we could end the year with a bang.”
Post its release, a lot of conversations have been happening around whether the psychological thriller will potentially have a sequel. Quiz Kartik about it and he states, “Freddy ended on an open-ended note and I think a lot of people liked that. The idea was that the audience should keep wondering if he was nabbed by the police or what happens to him in general. This film is the origin story of Freddy. It traces his journey and how and why he became the person that he did. Whether he gets punished for his doings or he becomes a serial offender remains unanswered.”
But has there been a discussion with the makers of the film? “Only Jayu (Jay Shewakramani; producer) and Ekta (Kapoor; producer) ma’am will be able to tell you if a sequel is in the cards. If it happens, I would be glad. As of now, I don’t know anything about it. We’ll have to wait and watch,” says the 32-year-old.
But the Love Aaj Kal (2020) and Dhamaka (2021) actor believes that it was filmmaker Anees Bazmee’s horror-comedy that truly proved to be a ‘game-changer’ for him, and needless to say, he holds its success extremely close to his heart. “Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2 gave me the top spot and suddenly, all eyes are now on me and what I’m doing, what my next project will be like and who I’m signing my next movie with. Every step that I’m taking is being observed,” he said.
Kartik feels that Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2, which raked in more than Rs 250 crore worldwide, is a significant addition to the commercial successes that he has witnessed throughout the course of his career. He also opines that these choices, which became major money-spinners, will shape and redefine his trajectory in the coming years. “Sonu Ke Titu Ki Sweety (2018), Luke Chuppi, Pati Patni Aur Woh (both 2019), and now Freddy have been fruitful experiences and they’ve given me so much. I want to create a legacy for myself. I want people to watch each of my films and say, ‘Iske siva koi aur nahi kar sakta tha.’ I want my films to age well,” he asserts.
Elated to have become, what many believe, Bollywood’s new blue-eyed boy, Kartik is rather overwhelmed. And apart from delivering two hits, he has gone on to sign many big-ticket films this year as well. “I’m just grateful and thankful to my fans and audiences who’ve really lapped up both of my films. I can’t keep thinking how great this year has been for me. 2022 will remain a year that I’ll always remember,” says Kartik, who has his plate full with films like Shehzada, Satyaprem Ki Katha, Captain India, Aashiqui 3, and Hera Pheri 3.
