'Dhamaka': Kartik Aaryan feels 'relieved & validated' after being accepted as Arjun Pathak

Kartik Aaryan has been overwhelmed by the audience and critics' positive response to his recently released film Dhamaka, which showcases him as news anchor Arjun Pathak, who takes on his professional responsibility while also dealing with a personal crisis. The Ram Madhvani directorial has given Kartik the recognition he was striving towards, and the actor feels elated on having achieved this feat. 

In a conversation with Pinkvilla, Kartik quipped that the audiences are considering Dhamaka as the onset of Kartik's second innings, 'Kartik 2.0'. He further added that he was blown away by the film's concept in the first script reading, and made a conscious effort of delivering his best. Lauding the makers, Kartik also iterated that although trying out something new can be scary, he knew he was in good hands. 

Kartik Aaryan on Dhamaka's success 

Kartik was extremely excited to showcase his never seen before avatar to the audience, and considering that people have accepted Arjun Pathak with open arms, he feels validated and relieved. He quipped that the response 'undoubtedly has been warm', and he feels happy to be in a space where he's getting refreshing roles and characters to portray. 

Noting that expectations keep you motivated but also become an additional responsibility for any artist, Kartik said that he cherishes the filmmaking process and keeps the pressure at bay. He is on a quest to create his own niche and wants people to talk about his 'own filmography'. 

Lastly, he said that Dhamaka's widespread acceptance has changed his definition of success. He iterated that after wondering about how to gauge success without numbers, the film has made him realise that audiences' love overshadows the number name. He counts appreciation as his 'biggest success'. 

Dhamaka was screened at the 52nd International Film Festival of India, shortly after its OTT release. Apart from Kartik, it stars Mrunal Thakur and Amruta Subhash in pivotal roles.  The movie, which started premiering on Netflix on November 19, 2021, comes as an official remake of the 2013 film The Terror Live by Kim Byung-woo. Meanwhile, for the unversed, Kartik has resumed filming for his next project, Shehzada, helmed by Rohit Dhawan. 

(Image: Varinder Chawla, Instagram/@kartikaaryan)