When Kartik Aaryan couldn't afford portfolios: I'd crop my face out of group photos to send to agents
Bollywood actor Kartik Aaryan, who will be seen next in Pati Patni Aur Woh alongside Bhumi Pednekar and Ananya Panday, recently opened up about his struggle and how he made it big in Bollywood. In a recent post for social media blog Humans Of Bombay, the actor stated how he continued to live with 12 boys in a flat till his third film - Kaanchi: The Unbreakable - released.
Kartik said: "I'd travel for 6 hours 3-4 times a week for auditions. At times, I'd be rejected from outside the studio because I didn't 'look the part.' But I still had hope. Soon I got projects like a few seconds in an advertisement and they kept me going. Eventually I rented a flat in Andheri with 12 boys. I had limited finances. I couldn't even afford a portfolio - I'd crop my face out of group photos to send to agents!"
"After two-and-a-half years of struggle, what I had imagined as a possibility was now a reality. After Pyaar Ka Punchnama, there still weren't many opportunities. I stayed in the same flat with 12 boys till my third film!" he added.
Kartik Aaryan has till now featured in over six films such as Akaash Vani, Pyaar Ka Punchnama 2, Luka Chuppi and Sonu Ke Titu Ki Sweety.
The actor said that he earlier thought of pursuing career in "engineering" but after he watched Shah Rukh Khan's Baazigar, he "knew he wanted to be on the other side of the screen." Kartik told Humans Of Bombay: "My parents were in the medical field and I was going to do engineering. But in 9th grade, I saw Baazigar and I knew I wanted to be on the other side of the screen. I was unsure of my parents' reaction, so I decided to study till 12th in Gwalior and then go to college in Mumbai. Luckily, I got into a college in Navi Mumbai. I stayed in a hostel and searched for auditions. I had no contacts, so I'd type keywords like, 'Actor needed' on Facebook."
Speaking about how his life changed after Sonu Ke Titu Ki Sweety, Kartik said: "Life has come full circle now." He added: "What I have today would've never come my way if I hadn't believed that I'd make it. I'm grateful for where I am and I know I have a long way to go."
Kartik Aaryan's upcoming release Pati Patni Aur Woh is all set to release on December 6. The film will be facing the box-office battle with Arjun Kapoor and Kriti Sanon starrer Panipat.
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