Kartik Aaryan Reflects on Bollywood Journey and Upcoming Film ‘Chandu Champion’

Actor discusses his career highs, upcoming projects, and the controversy surrounding ‘Dostana 2’

Kartik Aaryan’s career has been on an upward trajectory, especially after the success of his horror-comedy film ‘Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2’, which helped revive Bollywood box office numbers post COVID-19. Since then, Kartik has starred in several films, both on OTT platforms and in theaters, earning widespread acclaim and a growing fan base.

As he gears up for the release of his next film, ‘Chandu Champion’, Kartik sat down for an interview with Lallantop, discussing his journey, his new movie, and the aftermath of his departure from ‘Dostana 2’.

When asked about the negative campaign against him following his exit from Karan Johar’s ‘Dostana 2’, Kartik responded, “Dekhiye, voh boht purani baat ho gyi. Kai bar boht miscommunicate hai aur kai bar boht cheezein out of proportion bhi chali jati hai aur sepcifically jab voh likha jata hai to voh sound kuch aur karta hai.” (This news is quite stale now. Many times, there is miscommunication or something gets blown out of proportion, especially when it’s written, it sounds completely different).

Pressed for details on the incident, Kartik chose not to elaborate, stating, “Main tab bhi silent tha and ab bhi silent huin un baton pe. Main bas 100 pratishat kam karta huin, lekin jab bhi aise koi khabar ati hai ya koi controversy aa jati hai to main apne shell mein rehta huin, main shant rehta huin. Main un cheezon mein zyada ghusta huin, aur na mujhe kuch proove karne se mujhe kuch milta hai.” (I was silent when the news came about and I choose to stay silent even now. I am 100% focused on my work and when controversies of such nature happen, I stay calm about them. I don’t get involved a lot in them and I don’t have to prove anything to anyone by getting involved).

In ‘Chandu Champion’, directed by Kabir Khan, Kartik portrays Murlikant Petlar, India’s first Paralympic gold medalist. The biographical sports action-drama has required Kartik to undergo significant physical training and transformation. The film also features Bhuvan Arora, Yashpal Sharma, Vijay Raaz, Aniruddh Dave, and Palak Lalwani, and is set to release on June 17, 2024.