Telugu film Karthikeya 2, starring Nikhil Siddhartha, which released pan India has been creating waves ever since its release. The movie has surpassed its competition in terms of box office collections and theatre occupancy in comparison to Bollywood films Laal Singh Chaddha and Raksha Bandhan. In an exclusive chat with Pinkvilla, Nikhil Siddhartha expressed how overwhelmed he felt with the success of Karthikeya 2. The Happy Days actor also got emotional remembering his father, Shyam Siddhartha, who passed away on April 28.
I realise my responsibility now and will be very careful. The golden opportunity that the audience has given to me, I will try to keep it up and not ruin it
Actor Nikhil Siddhartha
"I come from a non-filmy background and becoming an actor in itself is a big thing for me. I feel the same vibe today as my first film Happy Days. The kind of love and reception people are giving feels so fresh again. It is exciting that a new section of the audience is watching me," says Nikhil who started out as an assistant director for the film Hyderabad Nawabs (2006).
Nikhil agrees that the strength of story-telling and not the budget is the key for the success of a movie. "The audience keeps evolving and so, there's always the content that matters. Currently, it is a generation of content and that's the reason, irrespective of the language barrier, people are watching even Turkish movies. It is all about good stories and that's why movies like Pushpa and RRR, which were content-driven movies worked all across India," says the young man with big dreams.
Nikhil suffered several setbacks after Yuvatha until Swamy Ra Ra got him in the game. Talking about his journey full of ups and down, he said, "Industry is a rollercoaster ride and it is such an exciting industry to be in. Initially, after Happy Days whichever 5-6 movies I did, I didn't have proper guidance. I had no idea what movies to select and I learnt from my mistakes. It took me 5-6 years to learn and when Swamy Ra Ra happened, I knew it that story is what that matters. If I had a godfather or somebody guiding me back then, I wouldn't have the initial hiccups but generally, ups and downs are a part of life."
"You have to change, revamp after every few years as per audience taste, or you will be left behind," he adds.
There's so much love around for Nikhil but someone he misses the most today is his father. "That is one thing I'm missing today. I did try to show him a few scenes in my laptop before he passed away but I just wish he was here. I regret not spending enough time with him. He saw the glimpse of the movie and approved it in his own way. His blessings are always with me," said Nikhil. The actor's father suffered from a rare disease, corticobasal degeneration.
Talking about his two upcoming films 18 Pages and Spy, Nikhil says, "Few movies are made for a larger audience like Karthekiya 2 but there are some that cannot go Indiawide. I realise my responsibility now and will be very careful. The golden opportunity the audience has given to me, I will try to keep it up and not ruin it."
Nikhil, who is 'being yelled' by his wife for not spending enough time with her due to movie promotions and interviews, is heading to Phuket soon for a much-needed holiday.