‘It’s tough to ignore me,’ says Kartik Aaryan as some netizens call him ‘replacement star’ after he replaces Akshay Kumar in Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2 and Hera Pheri 3

There is no denying the fact that Kartik Aaryan has emerged as one of the most bankable Bollywood stars over the past few years. In a time when several established actors are having a tough time at the box office, his films have been performing extremely well at the ticket window.

Not just that Kartik Aaryan has even replaced superstar Akshay Kumar in sequels of his two most successful films. Yes, the rising Bollywood star is set to headline Hera Pheri 3 after replacing Kumar in Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2. For those not in the know, Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2, which hit cinemas earlier this year, has emerged as one of the highest-grossing films of 2022.

Kartik Aaryan recently appeared for an interview where the host joked about a post claiming the actor could now even replace Tom Cruise in Mission Impossible franchise. Reacting to the same, the actor said that he has also come across such posts.

When the host asked him about the “replacement star” tag that he has received after replacing Akshay Kumar in two big films, the actor said, “I used to fear being ignored because I’ve always been ignored. For the longest time and for years. But now is the time I feel it’s tough to ignore me. I’m happy. That fear doesn’t come anymore.”

Meanwhile, Kartik Aaryan is presently waiting for the release of his much-anticipated film Freddy, which sees him in the role of a murderer for the first time in his career. Directed by Shashanka Ghosh, the film also stars Alaya F and Tripti Agarwal in important roles.

Talking about the film, the actor recently said, “Freddy surely was a very challenging film for me as an actor. It gave me several disturbing nights. But with all the hard work we put in, the journey on this one was smooth.”

The film is set to release on Disney Plus Hotstar on December 2, 2023.