When Kartik Aaryan didn't charge any fees for flop film Shehzada, co-starring Kriti Sanon

In the last few years, Kartik Aaryan has emerged as one of the most bankable movie stars among the younger crop of actors. His last film Satyaprem ki Katha, where Aaryan starred with Kiara Advani in the lead, was a big success. However, Aryan’s release before that, Shehzada had become a cropper at the box office despite great promotions and a good lead pair. Now in a recent interview, Kartik Aaryan opened up about forgoing his fee for Shehzada, to make the deal slightly easier for the producers.

Shehzada was going into a money crisis, Kartik Aaryan reveals

Kartik Aaryan clarified how he ended up being a producer for the film. He stated, “What happened with Shehzada was, I was not a producer-producer as such. I was given that credit on the basis that the film was going into a money crisis, and I gave up on my fees.”

Aaryan further stated that he took the decision to help the productions out of their crunch so that Shehzada could be finished and released as scheduled. Aaryan acknowledged the generosity of producers, adding, “The producers were gracious enough that they credited me for that reason. I was just acting as a producer for the film.”

Shehzada earned ₹47 crores at worldwide boxoffice

Shehzada, which starred Manisha Koirala, Paresh Rawal and Ronit Roy in pivotal roles, was directed by Desi Boyz fame Rohit Dhawan. Shehzada went on floors in October 2021, and the shooting finished only in January 2023, a month before the film’s release. Made on a budget of 65 crore, Shehzada ended up collecting a mere ₹ 47 crores (gross) at the box office worldwide. 

Presently, Kartik Aaryan is gearing up for the release of his next film Chandu Champion where he plays a paraplegic athlete. Additionally, the Shehzada actor also has projects like Aashiqui 3 and Hera Pheri 3 which are under production.