BREAKFAST WITH A CHAMP

KARTIK AARYAN is all grit and gumption as he takes on another challenge, playing Chandu Champion. JITESH PILLAAI tries to unravel the process that went into the making of an unsung hero thus far

- JITESH PILLAAI

HOW DID A BOY FROM GWALIOR SHIMMY INTO THE HEARTS OF SHOWBIZ? WITHOUT GODFATHERS AND CONNECTIONS, JUST HOW DID HE PROVE THAT HE HAD WHAT IT TAKES? OF COURSE, HE RUFFLED LOADS OF FEATHERS IN SHOWBIZ, BUT THIS BIOTECH ENGINEERING GRADUATE SLALOMED TO THE TOP OF HIS GAME. WHAT MAKES KARTIK ARYAN TICK, YOU MAY ASK?

Is it the X factor, his ability to romance women on screen, or just his sheer charm? He's got it made. From his monologue in the misogynistic Pyaar Ka Punchnama to his easy-breezy act in Bhool Bhulaiyaa, Aaryan has struck a chord. Is it his small-town believability in films like Satyaprem ki Katha and Luka Chuppi or his roving eye act in Pati Patni Aur Woh? Aaryan is your Everyman, and that makes identification easy. He's not overwhelming you with ideology; he's not consumed by being a fashion icon. He plays it straight. A certain believability in his performances has hit pay dirt. He's the quintessential nice guy, everyone will tell you. The characters speak for themselves. It's this Everyman quality that he channels in his latest outing, Chandu Champion, portraying Murlikant Petkar, India's first Paralympic Gold medalist. You watch frames of the reel, and he's morphed into the skin of Petkar as Chandu Champion. All of which adds up to the right time to meet him for a chat fest. Juhu, on a sultry summer mid-morning has an array of sounds-from cars zigzagging through the bylanes to contractors hard at work, birds twittering while busy bees dig up and repair roads. Here's a transcript of a conversation with the man of the moment, Kartik Aaryan.

WHAT HAVE YOU GIVEN TO CHANDU CHAMPION AND WHAT HAS THE FILM GIVEN TO YOU?