I don't want my films to be politicised: Nikhil Kumar

Nikhil Kumar, who is back to the silver screen after a gap of two years with Seetharama Kalyana, says, “Today, if someone asks me what cinema means to me, I would say, 'It's my world’. It’s my passion for the art form that has driven me to this field. When I look at the final cut of the film, it’s exactly what we had visualised. I am completely satisfied with its outcome. Now, we have to wait for the people's verdict.”  

Hailing from a political background, Nikhil admits that he does get support in terms of cinema, but wishes people would stop politicising his films. “In the case of cinema, everything gets politicised. Every time there is a political discussion, my name and film is brought up. I’m hoping that this will change over time. And for this to happen, it’s important for me to show my talent and go the extra mile for all my films. Those who are making sadist comments are not the ones who come and watch the film in the theatres, so I don’t take them seriously.”

He further adds, “I have only one request to the people. Cinema is an entertainment medium and it shouldn't be politicised. We are not making films only for a certain section of people. It’s unbiased. I've never hogged screen time in my films and I make sure that everyone is given importance. I want the audience to watch the film with a neutral mind. I’m happy to accept their feedback, and work on it.” 

From glimpses of the trailers, one assumes there’s some sort of connection to his real life. Is that true? “No. I’m just taking stardom step by step. I don’t want to jump the gun,” says Nikhil, who is also the producer of Seetharama Kalyana (the film is being made under Channambika Production). “This time, appa (HD Kumaraswamy) did not involve himself too much because he’s been busy with his work. Of course, he visited the sets a couple of times. But I was completely responsible for the film.” 

He tells us that this time they didn’t overshoot the budget unlike how it was with Jaguar. “Except for some extra days of the shoot, which I thought would benefit the film, everything else was within the budget. From producer’s point of view, the profit for the film will be higher than the investment. At this point, I should credit my friend and brother Sunil, who managed the project and stood by me throughout,” he says.

The actor is also looking forward to the release of Muniratna Kurukshetra and is likely to start his next project only in June.