Feb 11, 2026 11:41am IST
Nikhil Siddhartha On Karthikeya 3: ‘My Character Is Similar To This Intrepid Cartoon Character’ (EXCLUSIVE)
Nikhil Siddhartha confesses to Variety India that he is a huge fan of Shah Rukh Khan. He reveals it is his dream to shine once onscreen as a romantic hero, just like his idol. He shares, "I want to do a candyfloss romance that has all elements of a typical SRK love story." In the past few years, he has established himself as one of the Telugu heroes who has a diverse content-driven filmography. In 2022, his mythological adventure movie, "Karthikeya 2" was a pan-India success. After three years, Chandoo Mondeti and he will begin work on the sequel. "Karthikeya 3" is expected to go on floors towards the end of 2026.
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He tells us, "Karthikeya 2" was a landmark film. Our producers have spared no expense to make the sequel "Karthikeya 3" a befitting sequel. We have roped in some of the best technicians from India. KK Senthil Kumar who was the DoP for "RRR" is filming the project. Ravi Basrur who was the music composer for "K.G.F" and "Salaar" is working on the music." It seems the movie will be filmed in India and multiple locations abroad. Nikhil tells us that he has been active in the script development of "Karthikeya 3". The actor is a huge fan of the "Indiana Jones" series and Robert Downey Jr starrer "Sherlock Holmes" (2009).
Nikhil says his character in "Karthikeya 3" is of a doctor who is very curious about things. "As a kid, I loved "The Adventures of Tintin" like crazy. I would buy anything and everything related to the character. I would say my character is a lot like Tintin, a character whose thoughts compel him to embark on exciting quests," he explains. Nikhil Siddhartha also has "The India House" which is a historical action movie set in the pre-Independence era. He plays the role of a revolutionary.
Given his varied body of work and box-office successes, does he feel he is too underrated in the Telugu industry? "No (Laughs). I am very happy where I am. I want to be known for being a good performer. But people have told me that I need to up my PR game," he signs off.
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