Action films had so far eluded Kartik Aaryan, who primarily built his career on romantic comedies. But now that he has had a taste of the genre, it’s easy to see that the actor is relishing it. The teaser of Shehzada, which was released on Aaryan’s birthday earlier this week, sees the actor fight baddies single-handedly, complete with the swagger of a Hindi masala film hero.

“It’s the first time that I’m doing action, and I thoroughly enjoyed the experience,” he said, during an informal chat on his big day.

It can’t be easy to make an official adaptation of Telugu hit Ala Vaikunthapurramuloo (2020), considering the Allu Arjun-starrer has a massive fan following. But Aaryan says director Rohit Dhawan has brought his own vision. “Rohit has made the film in his own style, and given it a universal flavour. I have [brought my interpretation] to the character, so that we can take the film to a larger audience.”

The actor is now eager to dive deeper into the action genre. “As an artiste, I’d love to explore different roles and genres; that includes action as well. Hopefully, there will be more opportunities in the future,” says Aaryan, who has Freddy, and Satyaprem Ki Katha in the pipeline.