Kartik Aaryan caught skipping class for video games by his mom
Synopsis
Key Takeaways
Bollywood actor Kartik Aaryan, best known for his debut in Pyaar Ka Punchnama, once had a very different future mapped out for him — one that involved engineering textbooks, not film scripts. But a candid appearance by his mother on The Kapil Sharma Show revealed that even before stardom, Kartik had a talent for taking unplanned detours.
The Video Game Parlour Incident
During his board examination year, Kartik was enrolled in coaching classes, and his mother had quietly arranged for his teacher to alert her if he ever bunked. When he failed to show up one day, she decided to investigate — and found him at a local video game parlour, happily gaming instead of studying.
Her reaction was immediate and memorable. She recalled on the show, 'Itna gussa aaya ki kya uthaa ke maar dun, phir maine sandal pehna tha, wahi utara. (I was so angry that I just wanted to hit him with something. So I just took off my sandal and used that.)'
A Mother's Ambitions for Her Son
Kartik's mother made no secret of the fact that she had grander academic plans for him. She shared, 'Main chahti thi doctor ya engineer bane. 8–10 saal mein thok peet ke engineering karwai ki degree to le le. (I always wanted him to become a doctor or an engineer. I spent 8–10 years pushing him towards engineering, hoping he would at least get that degree.)'
To support his education, she even relocated to Mumbai, setting aside her own work commitments. 'I would stay in Mumbai and teach him, urging him to complete his studies,' she said.
Script-Writing During Exams
Perhaps the most telling anecdote came from an examination day. Kartik's mother had accompanied him for one of his exams, and when she asked him afterwards how it had gone, he reportedly told her, 'Pyaar Ka Punchnama 2 ki script likh ke aaya hun! (I wrote the script for Pyaar Ka Punchnama 2!)'
The quip, delivered to host Kapil Sharma and the studio audience, drew laughs — but also underscored just how early Kartik's mind was tuned to cinema rather than coursework.
From Engineering Dropout Dream to Bollywood Debut
Despite his mother's initial reservations, she was reportedly not thrilled when Kartik landed his first role in director Luv Ranjan's Pyaar Ka Punchnama. The film, however, went on to become a cult favourite among young audiences, launching Kartik's career in a direction no engineering degree could have charted. The actor has since gone on to headline blockbusters, vindicating what were once seen as very expensive video game sessions.