The prevailing cash crisis has crippled the Telugu film industry, with several releases being postponed as people are reluctant to come out and spend money on film tickets, considering the shortage of cash flow at the moment. But amidst the chaos, actor Nikhil Siddharth’s upcoming film Ekkadiki Pothavu Chinnavaada is now gearing up for release. Admittedly, Nikhil is slightly nervous ahead of the film’s release, especially under the current circumstances, but he hopes people will still come out and watch the film.
“We honestly did not expect this crisis to last for so long. Initially we thought it will last for the first 2-3 days. Luckily for us, our producer is confident and we have not had any problem with the release but we are slightly concerned if the people are in the mood to go to the theatre,” says Nikhil. “Having said that, since our film is the only release this Friday, we are confident that it will work in our favour. Of course there are concerns, but we are going ahead with it,” he candidly adds.
And while the public continues to line up in queues outside banks and ATMs to withdraw money, Nikhil believes that Ekkadiki Pothaavu Chinnavaada offers a much-needed breather.
“It’s a love story with socio-fantasy elements. We have now been working on this project for more than 10 months. In the film, I’m playing a graphic designer who designs for Baahubali. The film is about the journey of this VFX guy who suddenly has a lot of girls running after him and his relationship with them, etc. It’s an interesting story with a lot of twists and turns and some fantasy elements which I really like,” the actor shares, enthusiastically.
Nikhil’s career has been on a high ever since Swamy Ra Ra in 2013, and the actor has since gone on to deliver hits like Karthikeya and Surya vs Surya. His recent success has placed much more responsibility on his shoulders, admits Nikhil.
“ I respect people’s time and money. When people spend money and come to watch a film, they expect to watch a good film. So that is the responsibility that we all have. All this goes in mind before I select a story. I’m as conscious about the end as I am with the way it begins,” he points out.
Nikhil has also reunited with Swamy Ra Ra director Sudheer Varma, for a film called Keshava. “We have shot about 50 per cent of that film but I then I stopped to focus on promotions for Ekkadiki Pothavu Chinnavaada, because it’s a film that deserves attention and is close to my heart,” explains the 31-year-old actor.
But while promotions have been largely subdued given the cash crisis, the actor hopes to survive the test. “Maybe they should introduce currency exchange at movie ticket counters as well,” he jokes, before adding, “Look, at the end of the day, movie-goers will come and watch. Besides, prices of cinema tickets are not in thousands. People have to spend `100-150 or even `50 in some places to watch the film. Everybody needs entertainment and since we have a solo release this week, we are hopeful,”he signs off.