Kartik keeps IT REAL
While the 21st edition of the Indian Film Academy Awards (IIFA) has been postponed indefinitely amidst the ongoing coronavirus scare, actor Kartik Aaryan is still holding out hope that he will make his second-ever appearance at the awards show.
The event was slated to take place in the actor’s home state of Madhya Pradesh, which is why it was to be extra special for him. “I belong to Madhya Pradesh (Gwalior), so it’s like a homecoming for me. Last year I was shooting in Indore for Luka Chuppi, and now we are going for IIFA, so it’s a privilege and pleasure. But at times, I feel it so unreal and surreal that such good things are happening for me; I just can’t believe it,” he says.
When asked about his plans outside of IIFA, Kartik reveals he wants to see his family. “I will meet my cousins over there. I have eaten a lot of poohe
and jalebi over there so this time again we will all enjoy all those delicious dishes that I relished when I would visit Indore. I am looking forward to enjoying and relive those memorable moments again,” he smiles.
The 29-year-old says going home to Madhya Pradesh would be extra special because of the undying support that his family has given him and his career. “My mother supported me a lot. I wanted to become an actor and she was the only one who said, ‘tujhe jo
karna hai, kar’ (do whatever you want to do). My father was not very supportive. When I came to Mumbai, I would never disclose what I was doing, but I told my mother that I passed the audition for Pyaar ka
Punchnama. She kept that normalcy; she never stopped me from doing what I wanted to do even though she had concerns,” he recalls, adding that he is no longer nervous about performing in front of his loved ones.
“Back home, during any family function, if I was asked to dance in their presence, I would feel very awkward. But now I just wait for them to ask me to dance and I will dance to the tune of any song and feel happy,” laughs Kartik, whose friends have even given him tips for any upcoming onstage dance performances.
“Some of my friends always gave me one tip about using the stage — Whenever you are on a stage hosting or dancing, never restrict yourself to just one corner of the stage. Try and move all over the stage, which will help keep the entire audience engaged as well enjoy it,” he reveals.
Switching gears to the awards portion of the event, when asked if he hopes to win an award, he nods his head. “Actually, this is a very personal question. I would love to be awarded for every film of mine. Mera bas chale toh main Love Aaj Kal (2020 release) ke liye bhi award chahunga (If I had my way, I would want an award for Love Aaj Kal as well),” he
laughs.
The actor hopes that the love he receives from his fans continues so he can aspire to win more awards. “I don’t want to let go of that ‘real me’ in me. I am very real, and I am what I am. I like to be attached to reality and my real self. I never like any sort of pretense,” he says in conclusion.
MY MOTHER SUPPORTED ME A LOT. I WANTED TO BECOME AN ACTOR AND SHE WAS THE ONLY ONE WHO SAID, ‘TUJHE JO KARNA HAI, KAR’ (DO WHATEVER YOU WANT TO DO). MY FATHER WAS NOT VERY SUPPORTIVE. WHEN I CAME TO MUMBAI, I WOULD NEVER DISCLOSE WHAT I WAS DOING, BUT I TOLD MY MOTHER THAT I PASSED THE AUDITION FOR PYAAR KA PUNCHNAMA.