Image: Kartik Aaryan promoting Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3. Photo by Bollywood Hungama, via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 3.0).
Kartik Aaryan's career started with a speech. In Pyaar Ka Punchnama (2011), his character Rajat lets loose a four-minute monologue about his girlfriend — filmed in one of the longest single shots in Hindi cinema at the time. Nobody knew the actor. Everybody remembered the scene.
Fifteen years on, he is one of Bollywood's biggest stars: the face of the Bhool Bhulaiyaa films, a National Film Award winner, and an actor with no film family behind him at all. This page tells how he got there.
A Doctors' Family in Gwalior
Kartik Aaryan was born Kartik Tiwari on 22 November 1990 in Gwalior, Madhya Pradesh. Medicine runs in the family. His father, Manish Tiwari, is a paediatrician. His mother, Mala Tiwari, is a gynaecologist. His sister Kritika is a doctor too.
Kartik went a different way, quietly. He moved to Mumbai to study biotechnology engineering at D. Y. Patil University, and skipped classes to travel two hours across the city for auditions. He trained at the Kreating Charakters acting institute. He found the casting call for his first film on Facebook, auditioned for six months, and told his parents he wanted to act only after he had signed it. At his mother's insistence, he finished his engineering degree after the film came out.
The Monologue and the Slow Years
Pyaar Ka Punchnama was a sleeper hit, and his monologue became its calling card. He was nominated for a Best Male Debut award. But the follow-ups stalled: Akaash Vani (2013) and Kaanchi (2014) both failed at the box office.
The recovery came from the same director, Luv Ranjan. Pyaar Ka Punchnama 2 (2015) was a clear success, and Guest iin London (2017) kept him working. Fellow 2011 debutante Manasi Rachh knows that slow middle stretch well — for actors without connections, the years after a first hit are usually the hardest part.
Image: Kartik Aaryan in 2022, the year of Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2. Photo by Bollywood Hungama, via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 3.0).
Sonu Changes Everything
In 2018, Sonu Ke Titu Ki Sweety made him a star. The comedy earned more than ₹100 crore in India, far beyond what anyone expected, and Kartik's Sonu became a household name. He followed it with two more hits in 2019: Luka Chuppi and Pati Patni Aur Woh. The boy from the monologue was now a bankable leading man.
Rooh Baba, and the Serious Roles
Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2 (2022) took him higher still. As Rooh Baba, he carried one of the year's biggest Hindi hits, and Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3 (2024) repeated the success. Between the comedies, he played against type: a news anchor trapped in a hijack drama in Dhamaka (2021), a darker lead in Freddy (2022), and a gentle romantic lead in Satyaprem Ki Katha (2023).
Then came the role that changed how the industry saw him. In Chandu Champion (2024), directed by Kabir Khan, he played Murlikant Petkar — India's first Paralympic gold medalist — and reshaped his body for the part. The performance won him the National Film Award and the Filmfare Award for Best Actor.
Image: Kartik Aaryan at the Zee Cine Awards 2025. Photo by Bollywood Hungama, via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 3.0).
What He Is Making Now
His most recent release is the romantic comedy Tu Meri Main Tera Main Tera Tu Meri, with Ananya Panday, which opened on Christmas Day 2025 to a mixed response. He is now filming Naagzilla, a Dharma Productions fantasy comedy in which he plays a shape-shifting snake, and an untitled romantic drama directed by Anurag Basu, opposite Sreeleela. Also ahead: Captain India, in which he plays an Air Force pilot, and Ladaku — a reunion with Kabir Khan, due on 18 June 2027, which will also be his first film as a producer.
| Film | Year | Role / Note |
| Pyaar Ka Punchnama | 2011 | Rajat (debut; the famous monologue) |
| Akaash Vani | 2013 | Akaash Kapoor |
| Pyaar Ka Punchnama 2 | 2015 | Anshul "Gogo" Sharma |
| Sonu Ke Titu Ki Sweety | 2018 | Sonu (breakthrough) |
| Luka Chuppi | 2019 | Guddu Shukla |
| Pati Patni Aur Woh | 2019 | Abhinav "Chintu" Tyagi |
| Dhamaka | 2021 | Arjun Pathak |
| Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2 | 2022 | Ruhaan "Rooh Baba" Randhawa |
| Freddy | 2022 | Freddy Ginwala |
| Satyaprem Ki Katha | 2023 | Satyaprem "Sattu" Gujral |
| Chandu Champion | 2024 | Murlikant Petkar |
| Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3 | 2024 | Rooh Baba |
| Tu Meri Main Tera Main Tera Tu Meri | 2025 | Romantic comedy with Ananya Panday |
| Milestone | Year | Detail |
| Best Male Debut nomination | 2011 | Producers Guild Film Awards, for Pyaar Ka Punchnama |
| First ₹100 crore hit | 2018 | Sonu Ke Titu Ki Sweety (India) |
| Forbes India Celebrity 100 | 2019 | Entered the list of India's top-earning celebrities |
| National Film Award | 2024 film | For playing Murlikant Petkar in Chandu Champion |
| Filmfare Award for Best Actor | 2024 film | Chandu Champion |
Image: Kartik Aaryan at the success party of Sonu Ke Titu Ki Sweety (2018). Photo by Bollywood Hungama, via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 3.0).
Kartik Aaryan at a Glance
| Full Name | Kartik Tiwari (Kartik Aaryan) |
| Born | 22 November 1990, Gwalior, Madhya Pradesh |
| Age | 34 years (turns 35 on 22 November 2026) |
| Nationality | Indian |
| Zodiac Sign | Sagittarius |
| Height | 6 ft 0 in (183 cm), as listed in his profiles |
| Profession | Actor |
| Years Active | 2011–present |
| Education | BTech in biotechnology engineering, D. Y. Patil University, Navi Mumbai |
| Father | Manish Tiwari (paediatrician) |
| Mother | Mala Tiwari (gynaecologist) |
| Sibling | Sister, Kritika Tiwari (doctor) |
| Debut Film | Pyaar Ka Punchnama (2011) |
| Marital Status | Not married |
Frequently Asked Questions
How old is Kartik Aaryan?
Kartik Aaryan is 34 years old. He was born on 22 November 1990 in Gwalior, and he turns 35 on 22 November 2026.
Is Kartik Aaryan married?
No. Kartik Aaryan is not married.
What is Kartik Aaryan's real name?
He was born Kartik Tiwari. He later took the screen name Kartik Aaryan.
What is Kartik Aaryan's next film?
He is filming Naagzilla, a fantasy comedy in which he plays a shape-shifting snake, and an untitled Anurag Basu romance with Sreeleela. Ladaku, with director Kabir Khan, is due on 18 June 2027.
Which film made Kartik Aaryan famous?
His debut, Pyaar Ka Punchnama (2011), made him known for its four-minute monologue. Sonu Ke Titu Ki Sweety (2018) made him a star, and Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2 (2022) made him one of Bollywood's biggest names.
What is Kartik Aaryan's net worth?
There is no verified figure. He is one of India's highest-paid young actors and a regular brand endorser, but he has not published a net worth, and the numbers on celebrity websites are estimates.
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