'Who do I blame - God or Karan Johar?': Lakshya opens up on shelved films; recalls turning down Rs 25k TV offers

Lakshya who finally made his mark in Bollywood. He debuted with Nikhil Nagesh Bhat’s action thriller 'Kill', earning attention as one of the industry’s promising newcomers. Soon after, he made his streaming debut in Aryan Khan’s Netflix series 'The Ba***ds of Bollywood'. But before the success came silence, and before the applause came a long, lonely wait.

Lakshya transitioned from TV to Films

After starring in Sony TV’s historical epic 'Porus' until 2018, Lakshya looked set for a successful shift from television to movies. He auditioned for months and finally secured a three-film deal with Karan Johar’s Dharma Productions, a dream come true for any newcomer. But Lakshya soon realized that even big dreams don’t always go as planned.

Projects that didn’t take off

Two of Lakshya’s films, the romantic drama Bedhadak with Shanaya Kapoor and Collin D’Cunha’s rom-com 'Dostana 2' with Kartik Aaryan and Janhvi Kapoor, were shelved even after filming began.While many would have been discouraged, Lakshya took it as a lesson in acceptance. Opening up on Raj Shamani's podcast, Lakshya said, " I just told myself, it’s not your fault. Your job is to wake up, do your voice training, read your scenes, go to the gym, watch movies, and keep doing what you have been doing. Don’t change your routine."

Lakshya continued, “I was blank. I just let it happen. Luckily, I never had self-doubt. I had no plans of becoming an actor; it just happened to me. The only thing I knew was hard work. So why should I stop doing that? Who do I blame, God or Karan Johar? I can’t blame anyone. The film got shelved, that’s it. I believed it was happening for a reason. Tables would turn one day, he added."

Lashya on choosing risk over comfort

After playing King Porus, Lakshya could have continued in television, where he was offered a new show paying between Rs. 20,000–25,000 per day, a significant amount. His father encouraged him to take it, saying it was a rare opportunity.

Following his dream

Despite the offer, Lakshya felt a strong determination to try for films. He wondered why he couldn’t become a movie star like others and questioned what he might be lacking, deciding to pursue his dream instead of settling for comfort. Lakshya added, “My father said, ‘That’s a lot of money. I’ve never seen that kind of money in my life. Just grab it.’ But there was a stubbornness within me," Lakshya said. “Why could I not become a movie star? What do I lack? This one’s doing it, that one’s doing it — so why couldn’t I?"

Lakshya explains that his determination came from a quiet inner conviction rather than defiance. It was about being certain of what he wanted, even when no one else could see it yet.

“I’d done everything in that show, every emotion an actor can possibly perform," he reflected. “The quality in TV was decreasing. Porus also got derailed from its track. The medium is like that. A good film takes over two years to write, but on television, you have to come up with something every day. That’s why the shows become cringe after a point." he further added.

Safe to say, Lakshya’s honesty with himself and his refusal to settle eventually paid off. He transitioned from a familiar TV face to a performer praised by critics for Kill and The Ba***ds of Bollywood*. “There wasn’t a single day throughout Covid when I didn’t work hard," he said. “It was tough, but I always knew, one day, it would all make sense."