‘Who Do I Blame? God or Karan Johar?’ Lakshya Lalwani Reflects on Shelved Film Projects and Self-Belief

Mumbai, October 21, 2025 –

Actor Lakshya Lalwani has spoken candidly about the emotional aftermath of having not one but two major Bollywood projects shelved Dostana 2 and Bedhadak  both under Dharma Productions, saying the experience left him “blank and numb,” but not broken.

Speaking on entrepreneur Raj Shamani’s podcast, Lakshya reflected on how he processed the shelving of Dostana 2, which originally starred Kartik Aaryan and Janhvi Kapoor, and Bedhadak, which was to feature Shanaya Kapoor and Gurfateh Pirzada alongside him. The two projects were meant to mark his transition from television fame following his lead role in the historical drama Porus (2017–2018) to big-screen stardom.

“Who do I blame? God? Or Karan Johar? I can’t blame anyone, na,” Lakshya said when asked about his reaction to the sudden halt of his film career plans. “The film got shelved, and that’s it. For some reason, I had the self-belief that it was happening for a reason. Tables would turn one day.”

Lakshya admitted that the double setback left him emotionally drained, describing the feeling as “blankness,” yet he refused to let it spiral into self-doubt. Throughout the pandemic and beyond, he maintained a rigorous routine from voice training and scene work to fitness and self-discipline as a way to stay connected to his craft, even in uncertainty.

He shared that despite the professional blows, his motivation never wavered. “There wasn’t a single day during Covid when I didn’t work hard,” he said. “So why should I stop doing that? That’s what’s made me.”

The young actor also spoke about a deeper internal struggle the desire to understand what separated him from those who had seemingly “made it.” After Porus, he recalled being offered a high-paying television role, one his father encouraged him to take. While he accepted the opportunity, he admitted to quietly wrestling with questions like, “Why couldn’t I become a movie star? What was I lacking?”

Still, Lakshya noted that he never approached acting with a rigid plan to become famous. In fact, he revealed that his entry into the industry was somewhat unplanned a discovery that helped anchor him through professional disappointments.

His comments have resonated with many online, offering a rare, unfiltered look at the emotional toll that shelved projects can take on emerging actors especially those under the spotlight of major studios and expectations.

Whether the tables do turn for Lakshya remains to be seen, but one thing is clear: he’s not giving up and he’s not blaming anyone either.