Kartikey Malviya : People in my hometown taunt us, saying my parents live separately because of me

There are several TV shows, which revolve around child artistes. However, rarely do we see a young actor play the title role in two shows, consecutively. Kartikey Malviya, who became popular as Shani on 'Karmphal Daata Shani', is now seen playing the lead role on 'Chandragupta Maurya'.
While the young actor aspires to take up a typical daily soap, he feels fortunate to have bagged a show that features him in the titular role till it goes in for a time leap.He says, “I want to take up a daily soap, as it will allow me to showcase my versatility. I would also love to explore the supernatural genre on TV. Having said that, 'Chandragupta Maurya' gives me more freedom to explore various emotions. While I was always serious on Shani, in this show, I can smile, fight and indulge in comedy, too. I will also have a romantic track. Basically, the character is human.”
Kartikey’s dreams aren’t limited to the small screen. About his future plans, he says, “Unless I keep getting offers to play the lead on TV, I would like to take a break and enroll in an acting academy in New York to hone my talent and learn everything about cinema. I would then like to try my luck in films and I aspire to become a star some day.”
At 14, Kartikey, who hails from a middle-class family from Itarsi, a small town near Bhopal, earns around Rs 25,000 per day; something that’s a far-fetched dream for many in his hometown. Ask him if his lifestyle has changed and he replies, “Not really. But yes, Mumbai is very expensive. All I want to do with my earnings is to buy a flat and contribute towards my sister’s MBBS course.”
While his father continues to work and stay with his sister, Kartikey’s mother has accompanied him to Umbergaon, where the set of his previous and current shows are located. He says, “I miss my father and sister. On my previous show, my track, which was originally for three months, was extended by almost 11 months. So, I was away from them for that long. Now, I am back here with my mother for this show. While I am glad that my parents are supporting me in fulfilling my dream, the people in my hometown often taunt us. They say that my parents are living separately because of me and my work.”