Ashika Ranganath is known for her glamorous screen presence, but Karthi says her role in Sardar 2 offers a different picture of the Kannada actor. At a recent event for the Tamil film, Karthi praised Ashika’s dancing and acting abilities, while pointing out that director PS Mithran has deliberately kept her away from the image audiences may associate with her.

According to Karthi, Ashika plays a largely non-verbal character in Sardar 2 and appears in the same get-up throughout the film. He compared the treatment to Andrea Jeremiah’s character in Aayirathil Oruvan, who was also seen in a single costume for much of the film.

Karthi said he was initially familiar with Ashika’s glamorous image through her Instagram profile. However, after watching one of her Telugu films, he realised that she had more to offer as an actor.

“Ashika is a very good dancer. If you look at her Instagram profile, she appears very glamorous. But after watching one of her Telugu films, I understood that she is not limited to glamour and is a good actor,” Karthi said.

He also credited PS Mithran for trying to present Ashika as an actor capable of taking on performance-oriented roles, rather than restricting her to commercial parts.

Sardar 2 is directed by PS Mithran and is a sequel to the 2022 film, which starred Karthi in the lead. The sequel features Ashika Ranganath in a prominent role and is scheduled for worldwide release on September 10.

The film gives Ashika her first major outing in Tamil cinema. Having worked across Kannada and Telugu films, the actor will now be seen alongside Karthi in a role that, going by the actor’s comments, is markedly different from her glamorous image.