Aarya Babbar: I don’t see myself in competition with anyone. Competition karna hai toh Shah Rukh Khan se karo

Aarya Babbar, currently seen as Kalikant Thakur in Jagriti – Ek Nayi Subah, is proud to portray a character with a rich narrative arc, marking his return to television after nearly eight years. During his hiatus from TV, Aarya explored Punjabi cinema and stand-up comedy, experiences that have made him wiser and more versatile as an actor. Reflecting on his career, he’s content with how it’s progressing and is focused on carving his own path.
Ask him about competition, and Aarya offers a unique perspective.He says, “Where am I in competition? I’m not even in the league of competition. Competition karna hai tohShah Rukh Khanse karo bhai, mujhse kya kar rahe ho? (If you want competition, go compete with Shah Rukh Khan!). I don’t see myself in competition with anyone. My only competitor is myself. My goal is to push my limits and give my best performance as Kalikant Thakur. The real challenge is how convincingly I can bring this character to life for the audience. Why compete with me?”
He adds, “This isn’t the Olympics where I’m competing to bring home a medal for India. For me, the real reward is the positive feedback I receive for my portrayal of Kalikant Thakur.”
In a previous interview, while talking about his return to the small screen after a long gap and his career choices, Aarya had told us, “I don’t see it as a return to television. Whenever a project excites me, whether it’s for the stage, TV, film, or OTT, I take it up. I have not come across a character this powerful, especially for a male actor, on Indian television before.”

He added, “If I pay my bills, I’m the one who makes my career decisions. These so-called chaar log don’t matter to me because I don’t even know who they are. The perception that ‘Oh, maybe something didn’t work out, so he’s doing this’ or ‘He’s Raj Babbar’s son aur iski filmein nahi chali toh yeh TV ya stand-up comedy kar raha hai’, doesn’t bother me.”