It was one of the most expected Sandalwood debuts. It involved a former chief minister launching his son, who was initially touted to take over the political legacy of the prestigious family. Nikhil Kumar, who surprised his parents with his decision to become an actor, has succeeded in impressing many with his acting, dancing and fighting abilities.
Nikhil is now gearing up for his second venture which is yet again being launched on his father HD Kumaraswamy’s birthday. The young actor speaks exclusively to Bengaluru Chronicle, sharing his Jaguar experience, and his ongoing preparations for his upcoming movie and more.
“It has been a pleasure working on Jaguar for almost two years. I did not take up films just for the sake of making an appearance, like many others whom I do not want to talk about. I am here thanks to my passion towards films, and I have a long way to go. I am also aware of my flaws as an actor, and I am doing my best to correct them,” says a candid Nikhil Kumar.
The special attention taken by his father Mr Kumaraswamy, an active producer and distributor in the film industry, before foraying into politics, has helped Nikhil answer this challenge well.
“My father was extremely involved with Jaguar since day one. Even after its release, he has seen it at least 100 times, and still discusses the chances of enhancing it for a better experience in my next venture. However, my mother who was busy taking care of the media, was surprised, but it was my grandfather who was really shocked seeing me act on the big screen,” he adds.
After a two month break, where Nikhil celebrated the festive season with family and went on a holiday, he admits that he has put on some weight, but he’s back on his strict regimen now.
“My mother keeps saying that she cannot see me like this, but I keep saying that I have eaten a lot for a lifetime already!” Nikhil smiles, adding that he feels good to be fit, specially as an actor doing it for a film.
After Jaguar, his second film will be launched on December 16 which coincides with his dad Kumaraswamy’s birthday. “We will announce the director and other things on December 16, as it has a sentimental value. I will try my best to launch a film every year on December 16. This time, the shoot will start from March, and I am very aware, that it won’t be as easy as Jaguar,” he adds.
The second film will be on a bigger scale, with Kecha Khamphakdee, the stunt coordinator of the noted Jaika Stunt team that has performed for several top class Indian projects including Kamal Haasan, Tiger Shroff, Puri Jagganath films and many more, roped in to train Nikhil.
“I have just started to train again today with a strict regime called RAW 28. From January, I am heading to the US, for the preparation. I am learning various martial arts including kickboxing. This time, there will be a great surprise, which we will reveal during the release of the motion picture’s poster. Puneeth Rajkumar and Kiccha Sudeep Sir personally called me and appreciated my work. It was a sweet gesture. I am sure that a film like Jaguar was good for a debut but not for a second movie. Last time, I played the role of a medical student which did not require me to muscle up, but this film demands it. I am working hard to beef up for this role,” he reveals.
Totally into films, politics, he feels, is not on agenda. “All I do these days is watch films and think about films. I am also working on doing a bit for the industry. I am starting Nikhil Talents, and a website will be launched soon to encourage acting talent. We may even cast talented actors and outsource talent to other production houses. I am also planning to build on facilities such as computer graphics which one needs to go to other cities for,” adds the debut actor.
Before heading off for another round of intense workout, Nikhil adds that after films, sometimes he chills out with close friends, and loves playing football on his playstation.
