Nikhil Kumaraswamy: Rider is a journey of love that’s close to my heart

I’m here to stay,” says Nikhil Kumaraswamy. He wants to strive hard with each project and doesn’t mind taking one step at a time. He is excited for his upcoming release, Rider, and in a chat with CE, he shares about the film, his future in cinema, and more. “Rider, in the film’s context, means the journey of love. That’s how I want to describe this film, which is close to my heart,” begins Nikhil.

The actor is glad to have explored a new character in Rider, and he is happy for the reception that the trailer and songs have been receiving. “Covid was unfortunate, but the situation has made people hooked onto OTT platforms. As they have access to various kinds of cinema, the only way to bring them back to theatres is by making good cinema. And Rider will be one of those films. There’s a lot more to the film than what is in the trailer,” he says, and adds, “Apart from the commercial elements, it is the emotional quotient that will draw the  audiences to the big screens.”

Rider, backed by producer Chandru Manoharan’s Lahari Films and Sunil Gowda’s Shivanandi Entertainments, marks the debut of Telugu director, Vijay Kumar Konda, in Kannada. Talking about the debutant, Nikhil says, “The director, who has given two successful hits in Telugu, has made sure to give a local flavour to his debut Kannada film. He has completely justified the story written by Sharath. He holds a lot of respect for the Kananda industry and the language. Professionally, I liked the way he has handled the film. He came across as a sweet person to me.”

The conversation veered towards the cast members and, Nikhil says, “Even though the film features an ensemble cast including Chikkanna, Shivaraj K R Pete, Manju Pavagada, Achyuth Kumar, Rajesh Nataranga, and Ram Gadura, it mostly revolves around the hero and heroine. The film also marks Kashmira’s debut in Kannada. She was a perfect fit for the role. Our on-screen chemistry has worked very well.

Nikhil admits that he takes inputs from his father Kumaraswamy, a popular politician and film producer and distributor. However, the actor’s wife Revathi is his first critic. “She has been there at every stage of my life and in this film journey. I showed her the unedited version, which was for four hours, and she had good feedback to give me.”

The actor’s next film will be with KVN Production, and it will be directed by debutant Manju Atharva. “This is yet another content-based commercial subject, and I am looking forward to beginning the shoot from January end,” he says. When asked about his rumoured political aspirations, the actor said he did not wish to discuss it now.  However, he says, “I am currently enjoying my work for the big screen. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have accepted another film,” says Nikhil.

“Cinema is my profession. Unfortunately, I missed taking up more projects as I got distracted. However, there is no point in discussing it now. I am glad that I have some good films coming my way, and my focus is on acting,” he signs off.