Watch: Kartik Aaryan Carries His First National Award To Lalbaugcha Raja, Places It At Lord Ganesha’s Feet
Kartik Aaryan marked his National Award win with a heartfelt visit to Lalbaugcha Raja, placing his Best Actor award at Bappa’s feet.
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Bollywood heartthrob Kartik Aaryan is currently riding the highest wave of his career. On Tuesday, the actor was honoured with the prestigious National Award for Best Actor, cementing his place as one of the industry's most formidable talents. But instead of throwing a massive, star-studded bash, Kartik chose a more spiritual and grounded path to celebrate his massive milestone. Just a day after accepting the accolade for his solid performance in ‘Chandu Champion’, the actor made his way to Mumbai's iconic Lalbaugcha Raja pandal to seek the blessings of Lord Ganesha.
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Arriving at the pandal on Wednesday, Kartik was a picture of humility and gratitude. Dressed elegantly in a kurta, he didn't just come to offer regular prayers. The actor brought his freshly minted National Award with him. In a deeply moving gesture, Kartik bowed before Lord Ganesha and placed his medal right at Bappa’s feet, dedicating his biggest career win to the divine. Sharing a glimpse of this serene visit with his fans on Instagram, he wrote, “My Sukh-karta dukh-harta. Blessed beyond words. Thank you bappa!!”
Check out Kartik Aaryan’s Instagram post below:
The emotional high didn't stop there. Kartik Aaryan also treated his followers to a video capturing the exact, heart-stopping moment his name was called on stage to receive the honour. The caption accompanying the video was nothing short of a tearjerker, chronicling his journey from a small town to the absolute pinnacle of Indian cinema.
He began, "Looking back affectionately with a smile at that mumma's boy from Gwalior who dared to dream of becoming an actor from an environment, where people laugh at such dreams and move on. Finally, I witnessed and lived the moment... still numb with excitement and nervousness."
Continuing his heartfelt reflection, he added, "A dream of a small town boy...the dream of every actor in the country...The National Award for Best Actor 'Chandu Nahi, Champiyon hai Main' I will always be grateful and indebted to Kabir sir and Sajid sir for trusting me with the responsibility of playing India's first Paralympic Gold Champion- Murlikant Petkar sir on the big screen. The journey was extremely painful, but the result is as sweet as rasmalai! I feel humbled and emotional at the same time."
Reflecting on what he described as an "impossible journey," the actor credited his constant companions: his unwavering self-belief, his parents' blessings and unconditional love, his friends for their encouragement whenever he lost hope, and his dedicated team for working tirelessly to make his professional life smoother. Most nobly, he noted that he wants to share this monumental honour with every Paralympian in the country and with everyone who dared to dream the impossible and never gave up.
Kartik's Best Actor win comes for his phenomenal portrayal of India's very first Paralympic gold medallist, Murlikant Petkar, in Kabir Khan's 2024 biographical sports drama, ‘Chandu Champion’. While the film – which also featured Vijay Raaz, Bhuvan Arora, Yashpal Sharma, and Rajpal Yadav in key roles – underperformed at the box office, Kartik's sheer dedication won immense critical acclaim. Interestingly, he shared this year's Best Actor title with Malayalam cinema legend Mammootty, who won for his performance in ‘Bramayugam’.
Looking ahead, fans have much more to be excited about. Kartik is gearing up to step into a completely different avatar in ‘Naagzilla’, a fantasy comedy directed by Mrighdeep Singh Lamba. Backed by Dharma Productions and Mahaveer Jain Films, the project will feature Kartik playing an icchadhari naag. Originally scheduled for 2026, the highly anticipated film is now slated to hit theatres on February 12, 2027.
