What makes Kartik so SUCCESSFUL?

It's been 10 years since Kartik Aaryan scored a hit with Pyaar Ka Punchnama.

The actor has since become one of Bollywood's rising stars and has an amazing line-up of movies.

Just what makes him so successful?

Joginder Tuteja looks back at the actor's cinematic journey to find out.

 

Pyaar Ka Punchnama, 2011
Box office collection: Rs 12 crores

The film opened to dull houses.

The trailer was funny, but the actors were unknown; there was no starry buzz.

The weekend saw some growth, but a lot more was needed for it to become a box office hottie.

That happened when the word spread amongst youngsters.

By the third week, the film found the place it deserved in Bollywood.

 

Akaash Vani, 2013
Box office collection: Rs 2.25 crores

Despite the success of Pyaar Ka Punchnama, Kartik disappeared in 2012.

In fact, his next release -- in 2013, with the same actress, the same producer and the same director -- was a quiet one.

Though Akaash Vani was a well-made film about marital rape, it couldn't bring the audiences into the theatres.

 

Kaanchi, 2014
Box office collection: Rs 4 crores

Kartik's rise to stardom -- despite his initial success -- wasn't easy.

His next film, Kaanchi, revolved around its leading lady, Mishti.

Since Subhash Ghai was at the helm of affairs, Kartik agreed to do what turned out to be an extended special appearance. He did well; the film didn't.

 

Pyaar Ka Punchnama 2, 2015
Box office collection: Rs 64 crores

Four years after Pyaar Ka Punchnama came Pyaar Ka Punchnama 2 -- a rare instance where a film was remade by the same team within a span of just four years.

That didn't bother the audiences however; they were hungry to catch the team in action again.

Kartik was the only leading man to be retained and, this time around, he spearheaded the campaign for this superhit film.

 

Guest Iin London, 2017
Box office collection: Rs 10.75 crores

Once again, history repeated itself.

Once again, after a successful film, Kartik was not seen on the big screen for a year.

When he returned in 2016 in Guest Iin London, he was in great form.

If not for all the fart jokes that Paresh Rawal's character cracked, this family comedy would have covered a good distance.

Sonu Ke Titu Ki Sweety, 2018
Box office collection: Rs 109 crores

Finally, 2018 saw the dawn of Kartik's golden period.

With Sonu Ke Titu Ki Sweety, he reunited with his PKP 2 team -- Luv Ranjan, Nushrat Bharucha and Sunny Singh.

He entered the Rs 100 crore club and earned himself a whole new fanbase -- the family audience.

 

Luka Chuppi, 2019
Box office collection: Rs 95 crores

Now, there was no looking back.

Kartik's next release, Luka Chuppi, hit the box office bullseye.

The family comedy saw the young hero pair with Kriti Sanon and the duo successfully entertained the audiences.

The songs in the film turned out to be superhits and Kartik, by now, was pretty much a star of the masses.

 

Pati Patni Aur Woh, 2019
Box office collection: Rs 97 crores

2019, with a double superhit bill, was clearly Kartik's year.

While Pati Patni Aur Woh, like Luka Chuppi, missed the Rs 100 crore club by a whisker, it was his third hit in a row.

With Bhumi Pednekar and Ananya Pandey on each arm, he had delivered a riotous comedy.

 

Love Aaj Kal, 2020
Box office collection: Rs 35 crores

The mark of a true star is the manner in which he takes an opening at the box office and that was seen with Love Aaj Kal where he went on to deliver his biggest Day One collection till date.

With Rs 12 crores (Rs 120 million) on the first day, Kartik had truly arrived.

However, the Imtiaz Ali-directed film couldn't quite cover the distance.

The silver lining, though, was that Kartik earned critical appreciation.

 

Yet to release: Dhamaka, Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2

If not for the pandemic, Kartik's Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2 would have released last year.

Now the film, which has created quite a buzz, is set to release on March 25, 2022.

 

Meanwhile, the countdown has begun for Dhamaka, which has been wrapped in record time.

Kartik plays a journalist in this film, which will release on Netflix.