Kartik Aaryan has become synonymous with the word ‘franchise’ as he races ahead in the box office game. The actor has been consistently banking on Bollywood sequels, ever since he etched himself in the audience’s hearts with Luv Ranjan’s Pyaar Ka Punchnama. In a career spanning over a decade, the actor has earned his stardom from Pyaar Ka Punchnama and Bhool Bhulaiyaa franchises. In between, he successfully led films like Luka Chhupi, Pati Patni Aur Woh, Sonu Ki Titu Ki Sweety and Satyaprem Ki Katha.
The actor recently delivered success with the third instalment of Anees Bazmee’s Bhool Bhulaiyaa. The Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3 minted Rs 298 crore, despite being faced with the high-profile cop drama Singham Again. His popularity combined with the star power of Vidya Balan and Madhuri took on Singham Again’s ensemble cast including Ajay Devgn, Ranveer Singh, Deepika Padukone, Kareena Kapoor Khan and Akshay Kumar at the box office.
Kartik’s Bhool Bhuliayaa 3 surpassed its predecessor Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2’s lifetime business(Rs 260 crore approximately) in just nine days of its release. Excluding Love Aaj Kal, the actor has shown the power of leading a successful franchise. There have been rumours that Kartik may take over Housefull and other franchises headlined by Akshay Kumar considering the former’s growing popularity and bankability.
If sources are to be believed, Kartik has been influenced by his franchise's success, and trying hard to attain the same approach in his forthcoming projects. As per reports from Mid Day, the actor has been pushing for his upcoming romantic drama to be rebranded under the popular Aashiqui franchise. For the unversed, his film was initially conceived as Aashiqui 3 but due to a dispute over franchise rights between Bhushan Kumar and Mukesh Bhatt, the film was later reimagined as a standalone project titled Tu Aashiqui Hai.
After riding high on success with Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2 and Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3, Kartik seems quite confident that continuing the love story within the Aashiqui franchise will give it a much-needed push. Reportedly, he has suggested T-series head honcho Bhushan Kumar initiate talks with Mukesh Bhatt to reclaim Aashiqui's rights. Well, we have already seen how Aashiqui (1990) earned Rahul Roy and Anu Aggarwal overnight stardom, and the same goes with Aditya Roy Kapur and Shraddha Kapoor, who led Aashiqui 2.
It is yet to be ascertained if Kartik can successfully revive the Aashiqui franchise. Given his luck with the franchises and stardom, the actor can pull off the next romantic story if the plot resonates with the audience. In his last romantic drama, Satyaprem Ki Katha, he received appreciation for his nuanced acting and command over Gujarati dialect. Even in Love Aaj Kal and Freddy, he showcased his versatility while portraying the complex characters. If he has to lead the Aashiqui franchise, the filmmaker must cast him in a never-seen-before avatar in a content-led romantic story to pull the audience to the theatres.
Kartik is geared up for the shooting of his upcoming sequel to his Pati Patni Aur Woh apart from his attempt to resurrect the Aashiqui franchise. He has also expressed interest in a sequel to Sonu Ki Titu Ki Sweety and another instalment of his hit franchise, Pyaar Ka Punchnama. Nevertheless, Anees Bazmee has already announced Kartik’s forthcoming Bhool Bhulaiyaa 4 with a new plot. Meanwhile, what do you think, can Kartik Aaryan pull off the Aashiqui franchise?
