Kartik Aaryan was in Calcutta for the day on Wednesday promoting Shehzada, which releases in theatres today. Jumping off a flight, the star headed to a college in Agarpara where he worked the crowd like only he can, interacting with thousands and thousands of young fans. The Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2 star then headed to the INOX multiplex at Quest for a quick chat with the media before hopping into a yellow cab and taking off to the airport, where he was duly mobbed.

e was duly mobbed. It was past midnight when Kartik — whose box-office status and popularity quotient are increasingly on the rise — dialled The Telegraph for a chat, as he had promised. Despite his long day (and the tiring week he’s had before that), the 32-year old actor was his usual chirpy and grounded self, chatting with The Telegraph extensively on his relatability as a person and a star, playing on the “front foot” with Shehzada and why he never lets being a star get in the way of being himself. A TT exclusive.

Main Juhu Beach pe chala jaata hoon, coconut water pee leta hoon, pani puri kha leta hoon... chahe bheed ho ya na ho. I have no problem giving as many selfies as people want. Till today, because of the attention that I get now, there hasn’t been a situation where I have told myself, ‘Arre, main yeh nahin kar paa raha hoon’

Whenever you have a film up for release, your body seems to start pumping more adrenaline. How do you manage it, sometimes even hopping across three cities in a day for promotions?

This is the only way I like promoting my films... meeting people from all parts of the country, interacting with them, clicking pictures with them. That’s the way I have always promoted my films. Eventually, whether those films have worked or not worked is immaterial. There is a joy that I get from hopping from one place to another... chahe woh college ho ya multiplex ya nightclub. I think the reason I am able to do this on such a war footing is that I derive energy from the people I meet... I have always believed that one’s vibe influences another’s vibe. I think that’s the reason I don’t get tired. Of course I keep hearing criticism about how I cover three cities in a day (laughs), but ab main kya karoon? I enjoy it.

Because Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2 became such a humongous hit, your promotional tour for the film carried on for two months, I think...

Exactly! In fact, we launched the song Aami je tomar much after the release of the film since we wanted to do the launch in Calcutta only because of the Bengali connection, of course. Calcutta was a key market in which I wanted to go all out with Bhool Bhulaiyaa (2).

From the start of my career, the people of the city have been very interested in my films and have always been supportive and full of praise for my performances, irrespective of whether a film of mine has done well at the box office or not.

It’s always said that you are one of the most relatable young actors around. How many of these young kids that you meet do you see yourself in?

I always feel that I am one of them and the relatability factor is very high. Even till a few years ago, I was where they are today. That’s why I am able to manage an instant connect. I want to enjoy with them, make them happy, make them smile.... The way the youngsters at Narula (Institute of Technology, Agarpara) reacted to me was massive. I was so surprised! I had to climb to the top of my car to actually say hi to everyone. I think there were thousands and thousands of them... it was a sea of people in front of me. None of us could count... we didn’t even try! (Laughs)

Such reactions make one feel larger-than-life sometimes, you know. Bringing a smile on the faces of so many people all at once is not an easy task. These are the students who will possibly watch my movies now and even aagey jaake they will be my audience for the next few decades of their lives. I feel that they will grow with me just as I will grow with them. The more I meet them, the more personal I get with them... the bond will only grow stronger.

Kartik Aaryan with Kriti Sanon in Kartik Aaryan in Calcutta on Wednesday Shehzada, releasing in theatres today

Do you remember any instance of waiting for a star like this in your younger days?

I have waited outside Mannat for hours just to get a glimpse of Shah Rukh sir (Khan). In fact, I was lucky enough to see him get out of his car when I visited Mannat for the first time.

After Dhamaka, Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2 and Freddy back to back, Shehzada is an interesting choice to make. What prompted you to sign the film? This is also your first remake...

Correct. Though we had used the same title as the old film, Pati Patni Aur Woh (2019) was also an original script. So yes, Shehzada is my first proper-proper remake... I had not done a south (Indian) remake before this (Shehzada is a remake of the 2020 Telugu film Ala Vaikunthapurramuloo, starring Allu Arjun). I was looking for a massy, commercial entertainer that I could play front-footed, play to the gallery unabashedly. Shehzada is also the first time where I am doing so much action. As actors, we are always excited to do films that have us doing something for the first time.

The major reason for me to sign on is the fact that this is a multigenre film. The character that I am playing, Bantu, has so many shades.... from being street-smart to trying out comedy to doing action to being a family man and the film also traces his growth from a boy to a man, which means that the story also has a lot of drama and emotions.

The films that we had in the ’90s, many of them were multi-genre films like the kind that Shehzada is. There was a dearth of this kind of film in my filmography and Shehzada just happened to fill that.

Ala Vaikunthapurramuloo being a blockbuster guarantees that you have a hit formula already with Shehzada, but given the times of readily available content that we live in, many in your target audience would have already watched the original. Do you look at it as a double-edged sword then?

It could be. But I am not worried because we know that the film that we have made has its own freshness. I am actually seeing Shehzada as a new film altogether. We have taken the idea and done it in our own way. Plus, there is a major language difference and with certain scenes, based on that difference, we have made big changes in Shehzada from what was there in the original.

Of course, we have taken the best portions from Ala Vaikunthapurramuloo... we want to make an adaptation at the end of the day. Aisa nahin hain ki humne ekdum naya picture bana daala hain! (Laughs) Toh remake karne ka koi matlab hi nahin hain. What we have done is made certain changes which only add value to Shehzada. The cast of Shehzada — with the kind of craft and the kind of dialoguebaazi style that we have — has also brought in our own touches. I have done the film in my own way.

You also make your debut as producer with Shehzada. Feeling the pressure?

There is a certain responsibility, but I am still looking at Shehzada from an actor’s point of view. When I produce a film singlehandedly, I will take more responsibility for sure. But right now, my concerns for this film are solely as an actor.

Ever since the surprise success of Sonu Ke Titu Ki Sweety and the films that have followed, there has been so much attention on you, both good and bad. Whether it’s what film you have signed on or left midway, who you have had a falling out with and your relationships. Does it irk sometimes?

Honestly, I would have a problem if people didn’t pay me attention!

(Laughs) It doesn’t matter what it’s coming in for, but right now I am in a space where I am enjoying it all... whether it’s my family life or my personal life, my career or even for that matter, Katori (Kartik’s pet dog). I am glad that everybody is interested in my life. Agar woh nahin hoga toh mere liye problem hogi.

So does that demand that you crank up your social media game on a daily basis?

My social media is how I am in real life... and that’s the beauty of it. And that’s why people relate to me and my life on social media so much. People have that engagement with me because everything I do is organic. The day I start copying someone else or become pretentious, no one will like it. I don’t need to change, I don’t need to put in any extra effort...

I am a better person when I am with my dog. Do you feel the same way about yourself when you are with Katori?

Katori has grown a little and become ‘katora’ now! (Laughs) I think having a pet brings the family closer. It’s like having a baby in the family... everyone’s attention is on Katori (smiles). Having her around brings on such a happy, positive vibe at home.

Having Katori around is very therapeutic for me, especially at the end of a long day. She has brought a lot of positivity into my life and I am really, really happy to have Katori in my life (smiles). It’s weird that I am saying something like this just one day after Valentine’s Day! (Laughs)

Now that you are a famous face, do you miss going out and doing anything in particular?

As I said, I am okay with the attention... and I still manage to do a lot of stuff, ya. Main Juhu Beach pe chala jaata hoon, coconut water pee leta hoon, pani puri kha leta hoon... chahe bheed ho ya na ho. I have no problem giving as many selfies as people want. Till today, because of the attention that I get now, there hasn’t been a situation where I have told myself, ‘Arre, main yeh nahin kar paa raha hoon’. There is nothing to hide in my life, for now at least (laughs).

Now when you look back, what was that particular moment that made you go, ‘Okay, I have finally arrived’?

Before Sonu Ke Titu Ki Sweety, no one even knew my name. After that film, they started realising that there is a Kartik Aaryan that exists. That particular moment when I realised I am somebody is very vivid in my mind. It was a Sunday, two days after the film was released and I entered Gaiety (Galaxy, a theatre in Mumbai) and they started chanting my name. Now I hear ‘Kartik, Kartik, Kartik’ all the time, but that first time was pure magic!