I lived as a Chola warrior for two years: Nikhil Siddhartha on his upcoming film, Swayambhu

The wait is almost over. After a nearly two-year hiatus, Nikhil Siddhartha is back with Swayambhu, a period epic he calls his career’s most ambitious gamble.

“I just hope that the two-and-a-half-year wait works out and that people actually enjoy the film,” he shares, reflecting on the mounting anticipation. Speaking to us, Nikhil opens up about the film’s massive scale, his grueling physical transformation, and the casting secrets of his next Telugu-Hindi bilingual.

‘The film is designed for a grand theatrical experience’

Talking about the film’s scale, he says it took shape over a long production schedule. “We shot for around 180 days. The film is mounted on a massive budget, and it’s definitely my career’s biggest and most expensive film,” he says, adding, “The movie is coming in 3D, it’s coming in PCX, it’s coming in Dolby… in all the formats which make people want to come to the theatre and watch it.” He believes this scale is in tune with what audiences are seeking today. “Nowadays, audiences are craving bigger, larger-than-life films that they want to watch on the big screen. So, we decided to make Swayambhu a grand cinematic experience,” he says.

‘I’m not playing a king or a Baahubali-like warrior’

The film is inspired by a real-life figure, with Nikhil playing Chola warrior Krishnan Raman. “It’s the story of an underdog. I’m not a king, or I’m not some larger-than-life warrior like Baahubali,” he laughs. “I play a small guy next door who’s struggling in life. This is a true story… a very inspiring one, where this guy went on to become a very popular historical figure, which unfortunately is not known by a lot of people.”

‘I lived as a warrior for nearly two years’

The role required a physical transformation and a longer preparation period. “They gave me a wig initially. I said, ‘No, I can’t fight or run with this,’” he recalls. “I took the wig off and said, ‘Give me a few months. I’ll grow my hair.’ I grew my hair and beard naturally over five to six months. I lived as this warrior for nearly two years. I have performed every action sequence in the film. We trained extensively before executing them,” he says.

‘The India House has a strong, experienced cast’

Talking about another period project set in the pre-Independence era — the Telugu-Hindi bilingual The India House, he says, “The film explores the stories of freedom fighters. There are scenes where I interact with young Mahatma Gandhi and Veer Savarkar.” Revealing, “Actors like Anupam Kher, Raveena Tandon and Shreyas Talpade are on board for the film, and they are playing some important roles.”



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