Bollywood star Kartik Aaryan says venturing into the physical and mental space of the titular character in his latest release "Freddy" was a "tiring and taxing" process.
Directed by Shashanka Ghosh, "Freddy" is billed as an edge-of-the-seat thriller with unusual twists, turns and chaos of emotions.
In a departure from his signature Bollywood entertainers, Aaryan opted for the method acting technique to understand the world of Dr Freddy Ginwala.
"'Freddy' has taught me a lot. For the first time, I adapted a method maybe to understand the character. I was actually living life like Freddy. I learned a lot of methods on this film, which was not my way of doing things," the actor told PTI in an interview.
The movie centres on Freddy Ginwala, a shy, lonely and socially awkward person who loves playing with his miniature planes and the only friend he has is his pet turtle. His life turns upside down after he falls in love with a married woman.
Aaryan said he became a loner, gained weight and internalised the character so much that after a point, he almost started thinking like Freddy.
"It was very exhausting to play Freddy. I was behaving like Freddy in my real life as well. I actually became a loner and introvert. I had a 'Freddy playlist' with jazz music. We were also exploring Freddy while we were creating it.
"It was tiring, but the character needed this. I had internalised the character so much that I started thinking almost like him. It was a bit taxing," Aaryan added.
The 32-year-old actor, who has emerged one of the most bankable stars of Bollywood with "Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2" this year, said he had been looking for an interesting thriller since the success of his 2018 movie "Sonu Ke Titu Ki Sweety".
"Offers in thriller space started coming in after 'Sonu...'. A lot of people were not expecting me to get into this genre, so they were not offering me a film like 'Freddy'. I heard a lot of scripts in thriller space because I wanted to do a film like this. When 'Freddy' came, I was blown away by the story and the character." Prior to "Freddy" and "Dhamaka", Aaryan mostly featured in the boy-next-door roles in movies "Pyaar Ka Punchnama" franchise, "Luka Chuppi" and "Pati Patni Aur Woh".
Produced by Balaji Telefilms and Northern Lights Films, "Freddy" started streaming on Disney + Hotstar from Friday. The film marks the actor's second direct-to-digital release after Netflix's "Dhamaka".
He said "Freddy" came to him during the pandemic and the team felt it was necessary for them to conceive it as an OTT movie to do justice to the story.
"It is a kind of film that should be on a digital platform, otherwise we would have to tamper a lot of the content and change it according to theatres. We were clear about a lot of things when we started the film," Aaryan said.
"Freddy" is written by Parveez Sheikh and Aseem Arora. The film also features Alaya F and Jeniffer Piccinato.
(PTI)
Rahul’s casual dismissal of that controversy has added fuel to the fire
Rahul Bhatt sparks controversy over 'insensitive' remarks about sisters Alia and Pooja Bhatt
Rahul Bhatt, fitness trainer and son of veteran filmmaker Mahesh Bhatt, has found himself at the centre of a social media storm following controversial remarks about his half-sister, Alia Bhatt. In a recent interview, Rahul drew comparisons between Alia and their older sister Pooja Bhatt, calling the latter more talented, attractive, and principled.
The comments, which many have labelled inappropriate and insensitive, have sparked widespread criticism online. During the interview, Rahul stated, “In my opinion, she (Alia) is not even half of what my real sister Pooja is. Not in talent, not in looks, not in terms of being sexy. In front of my sister, she is ‘paani kam chai’ (watery tea). Amongst the siblings, the most talented and the most moralistic is Pooja.”
Social media users reacted strongly, questioning why Rahul would compare his sisters in such personal terms. Several users were particularly disturbed by his reference to their appearance and sex appeal, pointing out that such comparisons within a family cross boundaries of propriety. One comment read, “This is disturbing. Why talk about your sisters like that? It’s not just weird, it’s wrong.” Another post said, “There’s nothing respectful about comparing your siblings’ attractiveness in public.”
The backlash also reignited conversation around a decades-old controversy involving Mahesh Bhatt and Pooja Bhatt. Rahul was asked about the infamous 1990s magazine cover where the father-daughter duo shared a kiss, which had stirred public outrage at the time. Dismissing the criticism, Rahul said, “It doesn’t make any difference. It’s like water off a duck’s back. We know the truth, and we’ve seen everything since childhood.”
Rahul’s casual dismissal of that controversy has added fuel to the fire, with critics saying it reflects a broader issue of the Bhatt family being insensitive to public perception and boundaries. Many users questioned the need for bringing up old incidents in a bid to defend new and equally questionable statements.
As of now, neither Alia Bhatt nor Pooja Bhatt has issued any public response to Rahul’s remarks. Both actors, known for their significant contributions to Indian cinema, have typically kept family matters private despite living in the public eye.
This episode has also sparked debate over the role of public figures in maintaining respect when discussing family matters in the media. Observers say such comments, especially when involving women’s appearance and personal qualities, reinforce problematic attitudes and fuel unnecessary controversies.
While Rahul Bhatt is not as prominent in the entertainment industry as his father or sisters, his comments have made headlines and placed the Bhatt family in the spotlight for reasons beyond their creative work. For many, this serves as a reminder that public platforms come with responsibility, and that family ties should not be trivialised or dissected for attention or comparison.
The backlash is unlikely to subside soon, especially as fans and followers of Alia and Pooja continue to express disappointment over the way the situation has unfolded. Whether or not Rahul chooses to clarify or apologise remains to be seen.