Born as Kartik Tiwari on 22 November 1990 in Gwalior, Madhya Pradesh, Kartik grew up in a middle-class family. His father is a paediatrician and his mother a gynaecologist. From a young age, Kartik dreamed of becoming an actor even though he had no connections in the film industry. After finishing school, he moved to Mumbai to study engineering at DY Patil College, but destiny had other plans. While studying, he secretly auditioned for roles until he landed his big break with Pyaar Ka Punchnama in 2011.