Karthikeya 2 is a 2022 Indian Telugu-language mystery action-adventure film written and directed by Chandoo Mondeti. The film serves as a sequel to the 2014 film Karthikeya and stars Nikhil Siddhartha, Anupama Parameswaran, and Anupam Kher. As Karthikeya is going to have a world television premiere on Zee Cinema on November 27, Nikhil Siddhartha talks about why mythology is a popular genre in india along with his experience shooting for the film and working with Anupam Kher.
Excerpts from the interview:
Q. The film was an instant hit with audiences. What about the movie do you believe contributed to its commercial success beyond all expectations?
There is no one who has not been moved by the glory of Sri Krishna. Karthikeya 2 builds on this very essence and takes audiences on an adventure of a lifetime. My character gets entangled in a life-altering quest unravelling the biggest rahasya and I’m excited to take the audience of Zee Cinema on this adventure. All of us at some point in our lives, have turned to God to overcome tough times. Here, in the film, we witness something similar, which made the film all the more relatable. I truly believe that the story has the power of Shri Krishna.
I think this is why the film became increasingly successful - through word of mouth. What we thought would be a restricted release, continued to be shown in theatres even after 50 days. That is significant and we owe a huge debt of gratitude to everyone who saw our movie and showed support.
Q. Why do you believe mythology is such a popular genre in our country? Given the level of responsibility, how did you prepare for the part and the film in general?
It is impossible for anyone born in India to not know about the country's rich culture and epics. I have grown up listening to these epic sagas, especially from my father. The curiosity of those tales is what made me take on this project. It is this curiosity and relatability that makes the genre so popular, because we have all grown up hearing tales from our parents or grandparents and have grown up to take immense pride in these stories.
For Karthikeya 2, I tried to invest my time in research and groundwork. Unfortunately, I lost my father during the shoot of this film which made this journey rather emotionally difficult for me but he was fully involved in my research process, even saw a couple of raw cuts from the film as well, and loved every bit of it. So, this film became like an ode to him.
Q. How was your experience working with Anupam Kher?
Everything about this film was a life-changing experience for me. The process challenged me as an actor and allowed me to reach a much wider audience. To top it all, a chance to work with Anupam Kher sir was truly awe-spiring. He was so invested in the script and the story that the film really came alive. The kind of aura he brought in during the shoot was so contagious that we all immersed ourselves fully into the process.
