You will feel empathy, pity and even hate for my character in RX 100: Karthikeya

He may have made his debut with

Prematho Mee Karthik

last year, but for young actor Karthikeya, says, Ajay Bhupati’s RX 100 feels like his first real test. “This genuinely feels like my debut because my last film disappeared without a trace. For a long time, I felt like no matter what I did, I would end up at square one. But now, this film might change all that again,” says the 25-year-old Hyderabadi boy.
In RX 100, Karthikeya plays the role of Shiva, a ‘good guy-turned psycho’, as he describes it. “Shiva is extremely innocent at first and you can't help but fall in love with him. But as the film progresses, you feel all sorts of emotions for him — empathy, pity and even hate,” he says, adding, “I'm glad I got this character to prove myself. Telugu heroes usually have a peculiar characterisation, they’re larger than life. But Shiva is someone everyone can relate to.”
With so many different shades to his character, Karthikeya admits carrying the role was a challenge. “The script is very intense and it was not easy to portray a character with so many shades. It is a huge responsibility because the audience doesn’t excuse a bad performance just because you’re new to the industry. On the other hand, I’m also relieved with the kind of response the trailer has gotten. People have already liked me in it and it's just a small portion that shows them what I can do. It’s a huge confidence booster,” he adds, optimistically.
Produced by Ashok Reddy Gummakonda under Kartikeya Creative Works (KCW), RX 100 releases today.