Haven't changed at all as a person: Nikhil Siddhartha

Nikhil Siddharth is known for choosing out-of-the-box scripts and different genres. With his latest film Keshava becoming a hit, the actor has only widened his market. From his debut film Happy Days to Keshava, Nikhil has completed ten years in the industry. Barring a few bad films, Swami Ra Ra marked a turning point in the actor’s thinking and choices.

“Swami Ra Ra was definitely a turning point in my career. It was an experimental film, but showed me what the audiences are expecting from me,” says Nikhil, who admits that for an actor, “falling for an image is the biggest trap.”

“Luckily, I learnt this after a few failures and now, having no image is my image,” says the actor. “After Swami Ra Ra, I was approached by nearly 20 people with the same subject. Ditto with Karthikeya, where many approached me with the same supernatural theme. But I decided not to go for the same genre,” says the actor.

Nikhil’s decision has worked in his favour, with his last few films becoming huge hits. “Keshava collected more than double its budget,” says the actor, jubilantly.  So, is he under pressure now? “Yes, definitely, there’s pressure because my market is increasing with each  film. I have to consciously work hard and choose different subjects,” he says, adding, “People expect good stories from me and I don't want to bore them.”

So, has there been any big change in him in the last ten years? “As a person, I haven’t changed at all. I am as enthusiastic as the day I walked into director Sekhar Kammula's office for my first film. But as an actor, I have changed for the better and it comes with the experience.”

Nikhil confesses that he looks at every story from the audiences’ perspective. “When a director narrates a story to me, I look at it more as an audience. Earlier, I used to think about my role, song, dance and action, but now I look at it as a story and how everyone would receive it. That’s the big change in these ten years,” says the actor, who currently has three films lined up.

“My next film will have a college backdrop. It is based on Kannada hit film Kirik Party. Producer Anil Sunkara has bought the rights of the youthful entertainer. There is also a sequel to my hit film Karthikeya, which director Chandu Mondeti is working on,” he reveals, while his third project is a masala fare, to be directed by a debutant.