EXCLUSIVE! Nikhil Siddhartha: I don’t believe in pan-India

Mumbai (Maharashtra): Film choices and perseverance always make you or breaks you. Adding the tinge of the right timing and meeting the right people, one can achieve anything in the film industry. This is the example of Nikhil Siddhartha who perspired and climbed the ladder of success. From doing supporting roles to now being the lead actor of a pan-India film that has taken the country by storm, Nikhil has had a tremendous journey. In a candid chat with First India Filmy, he spoke about the success of Karthikeya 2, the pan-India concept, boycott culture and more.

Talking about how he never anticipated the nationwide love he would get for Karthikeya 2, Nikhil said, “We never thought that we are going release on this day or that we are going release during the Independence Day weekend. We just went with one gut feeling that we wanted to do a very different film. So we just made a very honest attempt to talk about our mythology and history and the life and legacy of Bhagwan Shri Krishna. We are used to this kind of love in South India but suddenly the whole nation showering love on us is surreal.”

Nikhil revealed that although making Karthikeya 2 was risky, he felt it was important to do that when showing something as important as the film. “I do not believe in the word pan because the only pan I like is when I cook in it or pan pizza. I like the concept called the multi-language film, Indian film. This movie has got a concept which can be watched by every Indian because we are talking about the Indian cultural heritage. We are talking about something important like Dwaraka city and Lord Krishna’s legacy. So, we just thought that multiple people should watch it.”

As Karthikeya 2 touches upon the sensitive religious sentiments, on whether the fear of being boycotted loomed over him, Nikhil revealed, “We never intended to make anything that would hurt anyone’s sentiments. We made sure to be well-researched on the topic and make sure that we portray the film sensitively. Karthikeya 2 is a standalone film that is not really to any particular film industry. It just talks about the Indian culture and celebrates it. See, hashtags will come and go but good cinema will always flourish.”