From 'Pyaar Ka Punchnama' to 'Love Aaj Kal': Here's how Kartik Aaryan has evolved from being a struggler to the hero of the masses

They say, The ones who are crazy enough to think they can change the world, are the ones that do! Kartik Aaryan is one such actor who landed in the city of dreams 10 years ago with a pocket full of aspirations. The actor who has who made way into the hearts of millennials today was once sharing a flat with twelve boys and used to travel six-hours daily for auditions. After struggling with numerous humiliating auditions for almost 2-3 years, finally in 2011 'Pyaar Ka Punchnama' happened to him. Today the actor is gearing up for his ninth release 'Love Aaj Kal' co-starring, Sara Ali Khan.

Here's how the Gwalior based boy evolved over the years to become the hero of the masses:

The day Kartik landed in Mumbai he had visited Shah Rukh Khan’s Mannat at Band Stand in Bandra. He was one among the thousands waiting to catch a glimpse of the superstar and that day it happened also for a few seconds when SRK car drove out in his car to wave at his admirers. It was a mesmerising and a decisive moment for Kartik. The boy, who had left Gwalior in search of the glamour world, had met his idol. In an interview with Instagram influencers 'Humans of Bombay,' talking about his journey to Bollywood, the actor said, "After 2 & a half years of struggle, what I had imagined as a possibility, was now a reality. After Pyaar Ka Punchama, there still weren’t many opportunities. I stayed in the same flat with 12 boys till my third film." Furthermore, he added, "I’m grateful for where I am & I know I have a long way to go. Sometimes all of it still feels unbelievable from this point on, the possibilities just seem endless & my dreams, are just waiting to come true."

Luv Ranjan’s 'Pyaar Ka Punchnama' (2011) is remembered only because of Kartik's witty monologue. The lines were extremely sexist and stereotyping women regarding their shopping, texting and even eating habits. Despite all of this, the clip went viral because of Kartik's epic comic timing. In an interview, Kartik had mentioned that the audition rounds for PKP went on for around 6 months and then finally the makers gave him the monologue script and told him 'If you perform it well, then you are a part of Punchnama.' Next day Kartik received a round of applause for his 'one-take' shot. While the actor delivered a 5 minutes 29 seconds monologue in the first film, the second part 'Pyaar Ka Punchnama 2' saw him up his game as he delivered a 7 minutes 80 seconds monologue, at a stretch in a single take.

After Pyaar Ka Punchnama 2 there was no looking back for the 'monologue hero' as his next film with Luv Ranjan 'Sonu Ke Titu Ki Sweety' turned out superhit at the box office and also entered the 100 crore club. The film carried sexist undertones and resembled Nushrat Bharucha’s character as nothing but a gold-digger, however, everything was depicted under the cover of rib-tickling comedy. We wonder if it wouldn't have been comedy than Kartik also would have faced the same criticism what Shahid Kapoor did for 'Kabir Singh'. Critics would have blamed him too for his choice of seemingly misogynistic film

Kartik's second consecutive hit 'Luka Chuppi' was his first film outside Luv Ranjan club. He was paired opposite Kriti Sanon for the first time. The film featured a young couple dealing with the struggles of a live-in relationship under the watch of prying family members. Talking about the success of the film Kartik quoted Filmfare, "' Sonu Ke Titu Ki Sweety' was the turning point in my life. Suddenly, the spotlight was on me. People began saying we always knew you’d make it. 'Luka Chuppi' took me further. It was a litmus test for me as after the success of SKTKS. All eyes were on the film. After the success of 'Luka Chuppi', filmmakers began believing in me.

Luka Chuppi's success changed everything for Kartik as he bagged a coveted line up of big banner movies. With 'Pati Patni Aur Woh' he finally entered the Dharma community. Even before the release fans were going crazy to watch Kartik on the big screen as Chintu Tyagi. The actor again returned to what he is best known for, delivering a long monologue. Although the domestic business of 'Pati Patni Aur Woh' was only Rs 80.41 crore, Kartik's received much fame and appreciation for his act. Speaking about the success, the star said, " “PPAW’s success makes me happy. From day one, I have received a lot of love for this character, but to translate that into box-office results was the most challenging part. I’m glad that the film and my character have been accepted by all. PPAW is my career’s biggest opener and that doubles my happiness and makes me work harder.”

The film 'Love Aaj Kal' starring Kartik Aaryan and Sara Ali Khan has been in the limelight since its inception. After watching the recently released trailer 'SarTik' fans are quite excited to watch the pair on the silver screen. As per Times of India's review, "Kartik Aaryan is good as the boyish Raghu, whose transformation from a timid lovelorn small-towner to a big-city Casanova, is believable. As Veer, however, even Kartik doesn’t get to do more than meekly follow around the love of his life and be at her beck and call."

It won't be wrong if we call Kartik 'King of sequels' as his upcoming films are only sequels. After Imtiaz Ali's 'Love Aaj Kal 2', the actor will be seen in 'Bhool Bulaiyaa 2' where he will be seen stepping into Akshay Kumar's shoes alongside Kiara Advani. The movie is slated to release on 31 Jul 2020. Later, he will be seen in 'Dostana 2' co-starring Lakshya and Janhvi Kapoor. The film is scheduled to release by the end of 2020. Last but not the least he has been also approached to star in 'Chashme Badoor 2' opposite Jacqueline Fernandez.