After two years of hard work and shooting, Nikhil Siddhartha has finished his first period action drama, Swayambhu. The actor, who hasn't been in a movie this year, says he was waiting for something really big. Nikhil says, "People kept asking me why I didn't make a movie this year." But Swayambhu is the big one. We filmed for 170 days over the course of two years. Karthikeya 2 only took 80 days, so this is a big deal.
Becoming Krishnan Raman: A Chola Hero Who Has Been Forgotten
Nikhil puts on the armor of Krishnan Raman, an 11th-century Chola commander whose contributions are still mostly unknown to the public today. Nikhil, who likes historical fiction like Game of Thrones and Baahubali, says he felt a connection with the real-life warrior right away.
Speaking to Hindustan Times in an interview, he says, "We always talk about legends like Achilles, but not many people know about heroes like Krishnan Raman." "He made kings." As soon as I heard the story, I knew I had to tell it.
Getting ready physically, emotionally, and historically
To play a war hero, Nikhil had to change everything about himself, from his body to his mind to his style. The team's top priority was being real. "We paid attention to every little thing." He says, "Even how my character holds the Sengol had to be respected." To really get into the 11th century, he stayed away from modern distractions like phones and got into the way people thought back then.
He laughs as he remembers the hardest part of the change: "Letting my hair grow for three months!" They wanted me to wear a wig, but I wouldn't let them.
How Karthikeya 2's success made the dream come true
Nikhil wondered if Swayambhu could be told the way it deserved to be when it was first pitched. "The script was amazing, but we needed a lot of money and good VFX." He says, "After Karthikeya 2 did well, the project finally got the size it needed."
He jokes that the movie's visuals are different from anything he's done before.
"There's even a scene where Maruthi and I cross oceans..." He laughs and says, "I've already said too much!"
Looking Ahead: The India House, Karthikeya 3, and a Fear That Won't Go Away
On February 13, 2026, Swayambhu will come out in theaters. Nikhil already has a lot of movies lined up. "I've finished about half of The India House, which is a whole new type of book for me. Then there's Karthikeya 3. So, things are going to get exciting.
But he admits that he is afraid of long shooting schedules. "Back in the day, movies were done in six months. Now it takes years for everything. He says, "I feel like I'm losing some of my best years as an actor." "But today, people won't watch if you don't put in the time. I just hope that all of this hard work pays off.
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