A beaming Kartik Aaryan welcomes us to his new Juhu flat on Valentine's Day. Touted as the next big thing, Kartik has been garnering ample female adulation since the release of the sleeper hit, Sonu Ke Titu Ki Sweety, last year. His mother (Mala Tiwari) narrates a funny story to us about how she gets random phone calls from people calling in to check if Aaryan is available for marriage. As we laugh it off over an elaborate spread of aloo parathas and lassi, the actor muses about the ephemeral nature of showbiz. "That's exactly how it's designed. Movies, and only movies, stay back as legacy. Everything else is a bubble," he says. Over the next hour, we chat about his sudden stardom, making it without a godfather, the fine art of turning down offers and his love life.

What has changed after the success of Sonu Ki Titu Ki Sweety?
My entire life. People know who I am. Before the film, they knew me by face but not my name. I am no longer just catering to the youth. Now, taijis, chachis and mummies know me. For the first time in eight years, I have the option of choosing from a variety of scripts. I no longer need to pick up just about anything that comes my way. The options are better than before. I strived to become a priority for filmmakers, rather than an option. Sonu... made it possible.