Nikhil Siddhartha who was seen playing the lead role in the National Award-winning movie Karthikeya 2 was caught in an exclusive interview with Pinkvilla, post the honor the movie received.
The film, starring Nikhil, is a Telugu-language mystery action-adventure that is a sequel to the 2014 movie Karthikeya. The movie, directed by Chandoo Mondeti, featured the story of Dr Karthikeya, who embarks on a quest to find Lord Krishna’s lost anklet.
Besides Nikhil, the film also had actors Anupama Parameswaran, Anupam Kher, Adithya Menon, Srinivasa Reddy, Satya, and more in key roles. Here’s what the actor has to say about his film and his future as an actor!
Nikhil Siddhartha unveils his reaction to Karthikeya 2 winning National Award
Q. How do you think Karthikeya 2 stands out from other films in the same genre, and what do you believe contributed to its success?
Ans. I do believe that the kind of detailing we went into and the research that we did brought in a lot of believability. We were talking about mythology being our history and science being already there in Indian culture, all these things were very well-researched.
I think that’s the reason why when people went back home and googled some of the instances and did their own research, they realized that most of what was shown in the film was very true. It was also shown in a genuine and honest manner and I think the mixture of culture, mythology, history, adventure, and comedy made it a beautiful family film that everyone could watch together which everyone could watch.
It was also pretty entertaining because sometimes when you take this genre, the films aren’t that entertaining but we made it a big screen experience that people could enjoy in theaters.
Q. In what ways do you believe your film winning the National Award will impact your future projects and career as an actor?
Ans. I think a National Award is an award that makes everyone across the country aware of the film. First of all, it ran very well in different languages too. It did very well at the Hindi and South Indian box offices. The film also went to North-East and South-West…I traveled across the country promoting the film and I received housefull shows wherever I had visited.
I think this award along with its awareness has given us the motivation to do better for the 3rd part. The expectations are also very high because everywhere I go people keep asking about the next part and I think the National Award helps. My films Swayambhu and The India House are coming up now that we tasted it we will try harder to give a good film.
Q. What was your vision for Karthikeya 2, and how did you aim to elevate the storytelling from the first film?
Ans. We always had a nice point in the film. It is a universal point. The first part was a Telugu-based film but for this one, we had to make sure that audiences across the country would be able to connect.
This is the reason we took meticulous scare in the dubbing of the film. There was also a scare taken to make sure that we had actors from all parts. We had Anupam Kher sir, we had Anupama from Malayalam, it wasn’t just a pan-Indian success but a pan-Indian casting also. So I think, the storytelling…we made it a universal point, and other points to reach a larger audience were taken care of.
Q. The film has a strong mythological element. What do you think about movies nowadays taking the approach of balance between entertainment and cultural representation?
Ans. I think it has to be done in the right way. I mean if you just want to encash on the genre just because there’s a mode of Indic films happening right now and making money. I think that would not be a good approach because there are films like that that are coming out and their tanking at the box office.
I think money shouldn’t be the driving force when you’re doing something creative. There should be a very organic way if the script demands. I’m doing a love story in between so I cannot do this but my movie Swayambhu might have elements that will reach everybody. It has mythological elements, Indian culture…we are talking about Dharma and everything.
The film’s script should demand it, the film’s script should have it organically and it should be put across in an entertaining and enjoyable way which people from all walks of life could enjoy. I know Karthikeya 2 was watched by people of all religions…all walks of life, no one was left behind, and made every Indian proud. That is what we try to do and that is what we will try to do in the future too.
Watch the trailer for Karthikeya 2:
