Heads turn when the Pyaar Ka Punchnama 2 (PKP2) dude Kartik Aaryan takes long strides into a local coffee shop. Without much ado, Kartik admits that after four years in Bollywood and four films, this is the first time he actually has reason to feel elated. Says he, “My first movie Pyaar Ka Punchnama (PKP) did well, but my second and third films - Akaash Vani and Kaanchi: The Unbreakable flopped. My fourth movie PKP 2 is my biggest release and biggest success. And for the first time in four years, I feel like a part of Bollywood. PKP had also done well but it is only now that people from the industry and outside have started noticing me.“

The high point, according to the Gwalior boy, is when he took his family to a theatre in Mumbai to watch his latest release that is produced by Panorama Studios and returned disappointed because there was a huge houseful board. “I couldn't see the film that day. But I cannot even describe to you what a high I experienced. I was thrilled to bits that I couldn't get tickets for my movie.“

He admits that though there have been offers post his new-found success, nothing has been finalised yet. “I have grown up watching Aditya Chopra and Karan Johar movies. Naturally, I aspire to be a part of their kind of cinema,“ he says.

Nervous and happy with his current situation, the actor adds, “When I first moved to Mumbai, I shared a flat with 12 boys. Now, I have a home to myself. This, for me, is the beginning. PKP 2 is my calling card in this round and I'm fortunate that my producers Abhishek Pathak and Kumar Mangat Pathak, and director Luv Ranjan have not bound me by any contract. So, I'm free to make my own choices. People had noticed by work earlier, now they have taken notice of my film's box office. It is only when you become commercially viable that you actually get accepted by the industry. I'm praying that whenever my next film happens, it gets a couple of more zeroes at the box-office collections and once more, I'm given an opportunity to do an interview like this one.“