EXCLUSIVE: Karthikeya 2 actor Nikhil Siddhartha reveals he has been offered films by two VERY big Bollywood producers; also says that he opted for profit-sharing

Four weeks ago, Nikhil Siddhartha was largely an unknown actor among the Hindi audiences. Today, he has emerged as one of the biggest success stories of 2022 thanks to the box office performance of his film, Karthikeya 2. The adventure thriller, originally in the Telugu language, had a very limited release in the Hindi version on the day of its release. But it kept growing with each passing day. It had opened at just Rs. 7 lakhs and has now crossed the Rs. 25 crores mark, which speaks volumes of its historic trend. Bollywood Hungama exclusively spoke to Nikhil Siddhartha about the film and a lot more. Despite tasting such success, the actor was as humble as ever.

 

EXCLUSIVE: Karthikeya 2 actor Nikhil Siddhartha reveals he has been offered films by two VERY big Bollywood producers; also says that he opted for profit-sharing

 

Karthikeya 2 is in its fourth week and is currently the best-performing film in the Hindi-speaking markets. Your thoughts?

 

First of all, I’d like to thank God and the audience. In Telugu, we say ‘Prekshakulu devudu’, which means ‘the audience is God’. They are the ones who have showered so much love. They have proved yet again that if the film has a strong story, they’ll come in hordes to watch it. I was in Ahmedabad a few days back. We had held a special show, which was sold out. The show before that also recorded great occupancy. Wherever I have been – be it Delhi or Mumbai – I have seen that people are so happy watching the movie. They are spreading the word. I still can’t believe it, to be honest. I feel it's a dream and I hope nobody wakes me up!

 

In Hindi, it came without much noise and despite playing in just 50 shows on day 1, the word spread that it’s a film to watch out for. The way it jumped from Rs. 7 lakhs on day 1 to Rs. 28 lakhs on day 2 to Rs. 1.10 crore on day 3 and so on must have been a surprise, also considering that it clashed with Aamir Khan’s Laal Singh Chaddha and Akshay Kumar’s Raksha Bandhan. Is that right?

 

Yes, it was a surprise. I’d like to thank my distributor, UFO Moviez. In Telugu, it opened with a bang, as it was the sequel of a hit film. We recovered the investment in two days. But when it came to the Hindi version, they had to scramble for theatres. On the first day itself, a word about the film spread. I and my producer Abhishek ji (Abhishek Agarwal) started getting non-stop calls that the content needs to be delivered as soon as possible. We had to resort to courier or send hard drives by flights to so many screens. At the end of the second day, August 14, we were playing in around 500 locations. By the end of August 15, the number had increased to around 1000. So, this was a massive feat. Yes, we were aware that we released alongside big films. But Karthikeya 2 cannot be compared with any film as it’s unique and out-of-the-box. I am happy we got our space and got the public to the theatres (smiles).

 

Do you mean that you were also involved with the distribution and content delivery?

 

(Laughs) No, no. But I keep getting the updates as I have a percentage in the film.

 

Have you opted for profit-sharing?

 

Yes. The producers are very kind (smiles)!

 

Speaking of the producer, Abhishek Agarwal had also backed The Kashmir Files (2022). Just like Karthikeya 2, that film, too, had an unbelievable run at the box office…

 

He backed the film from the script stage itself. He believes in the idea of ‘India first’. We are glorifying our Indian culture and roots, and also Lord Krishna, who is respected by people across communities and religions. I am lucky to be a part of this film. Our aim was that everybody should watch it, that too in cinemas. After all, it’s a big-screen experience and seeing it with Dolby surround sound is a different feeling. So, I am happy that people took the right call. We are the highest-rated film, at present, on various portals. People have blessed us, and this makes me very happy.

 

The snakes form an important part of the film and it is seen in the title logo. Hence, I have to ask you, are you afraid of snakes in real life?

 

Firstly, I advise people not to do mischief with snakes. I came across reports that people got inspired by my character and tried to play with snakes. And they got bitten. My request to the readers is that guys, please don’t do it. To answer your question, yes, I am scared of snakes. Thankfully, the graphic designers did a good job. Hence, the snakes looked very real. In the first part, I majorly interacted with live snakes. In the sequel, I had to shoot with snakes but I didn’t touch them, keeping in mind the animal cruelty laws. So, we shot with a snake just to get its movements. However, I advise that if you come across a snake, please do not kill it. Instead, call snake catchers so that they can be safely taken away as they are innocent creatures.

 

From the Bollywood film industry, what kind of feedback have you got?

 

First of all, I am very happy that pan-India stars like Prabhas bhai, Ram Charan, Pawan Kalyan etc. appreciated the film. As for Bollywood, though not publicly, many have called and have privately showered their love! I really respect the gesture and thank them. Anyway, I don’t believe in differentiating between Bollywood and Tollywood. The lines are blurring. It’s all Indian cinema. I hope to do films that hopefully click with every section of the audience. Honestly, two very big production houses of Bollywood have approached me, for their upcoming films. I can’t name them as I haven’t signed on the dotted line.

 

Karthikeya 3 is also in the offing. It’ll surely open with a bang in Hindi since the sequel has worked so well. Are you excited about it?

 

The character Dr Karthik has an element of curiosity, which entices him to find answers to unsolved mysteries. In our country as well as the world, there are many such unsolved mysteries that people want to know about and want practical and scientific answers to. So, the director is very keen on taking the character and the idea forward. Karthik is going to have many more adventures which are going to make for a great watch and at the same time, it’ll glorify our culture and talk about Sanatan Dharm.

 

Could you tell us about your next film?

 

It’s called Spy, in which I am playing a RAW agent. It’ll be released in 5 languages. It deals with a national issue and will also appeal to a pan-India audience.

 

 

 

Also Read: EXCLUSIVE: “In Hindi, Karthikeya 2 opened at Rs. 7 lakhs and now it’s doing DOUBLE of Laal Singh Chaddha and Raksha Bandhan’s collections. I don’t think something like this has EVER happened before” – Ram Gopal Varma

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