Nikhil Siddhartha is an Indian actor who predominantly appears in Telugu films. He is best known for playing lead roles in the films like Swamy Ra Ra as Surya (2013), Karthikeya as Karthikeya Karthik Kumaraswamy (2014), and Kirrak Party as Krishna (2018). Nikhil was shot to fame for playing the character of Karthikeya in the sequel of the film Karthikeya in August 2022.
Wiki/Biography
Nikhil Siddhartha was born on Saturday, 1 June 1985 (age 37 years; as of 2022) in Begumpet, Hyderabad, India. His zodiac sign is Gemini. Nikhil attended Hyderabad Public School in Begumpet and St. Patrick’s High School in Secunderabad. He earned his bachelor’s degree in engineering from the Muffakham Jah College of Engineering and Technology in Hyderabad.
A childhood picture of Nikhil Siddhartha with his mother
Physical Appearance
Height (approx.): 5′ 10″
Weight (approx.): 75 kg
Hair Colour: Black
Eye Colour: Dark Brown
Body Measurements (approx.): Chest 42″, Waist 33″, Biceps 16″
Family
Parents & Siblings
Nikhil’s father, Kavali Shyam Siddhartha, a professor, belonged to Gadwal in the Jogulamba district of Telangana. He suffered from a rare disease, corticobasal degeneration, and after fighting it for almost eight years, he passed away on 28 April 2022.
Nikhil Siddhartha, along with his father, Kavali Shyam Siddhartha
His mother’s name is Veena Siddhartha, former principal of a school.
Nikhil Siddhartha, along with his mother, Veena Siddhartha
Nikhil has a younger sister, Sonali Siddhartha, and a younger brother, Rohit Siddhartha.
Nikhil Siddhartha, along with his sister, Sonali Siddhartha
Nikhil Siddhartha (left), along with his parents and brother, Rohit Siddhartha (extreme right)
Wife & Children
On 14 May 2020, Nikhil got married to Pallavi Varma, a doctor, who belongs to Bhimavaram in Andhra Pradesh.
Nikhil Siddhartha, along with his wife, Pallavi Varma
The wedding took place at Nikhil’s farmhouse in Shamirpet, Hyderabad and was attended by their close friends and family members. In an interview, Nikhil revealed that Pallavi’s parents were not in favour of their daughter’s decision of marrying a man from the film industry, but Nikhil’s mother convinced Pallavi’s parents and clarified all the doubts to their marriage. As per sources, Nikhil and Pallavi met each other through a mutual friend and started dating and on 3 February 2020, Nikhil announced his engagement to Pallavi.
Wedding picture of Nikhil Siddhartha and Pallavi Varma
Relationships/Affairs
In August 2017, it was rumoured that Nikhil got engaged to a girl from Hyderabad, Tejaswini, who was an engineer. According to some sources, Nikhil’s marriage with Tejaswini was an arranged affair and the couple was about to get married on 1 October 2017, but somehow it was called off due to unknown reasons. However, on being asked about his marriage rumours, Nikhil denied the same. A close source of Nikhil revealed the details about his wedding and said,
It’s an arranged marriage as Nikhil’s parents saw the girl first and liked her. Afterwards, Nikhil met and liked her too. They are now planning an engagement in a few days’ time. Now that his career is going strong and he is in the safe zone, he finally agreed to his parents’ wish.”
Religion
Nikhil follows Hinduism, and he is an ardent believer in Lord Krishna. In an interview, Nikhil talked about his belief in Lord Krishna and said,
Being from a Yadava Community, my family would always celebrate Krishnashtami in a very big way as it was the main festival in our family.”
Nikhil Siddhartha (right) seeking blessing from Lord Karthikeya Swamy at the Ilford London Murugan Temple
Caste
Nikhil Siddhartha belongs to the Yadava community.
Signature
Signature of Nikhil Sidhartha
Career
Assistant Director
During his college days, Nikhil realised his passion for acting. He participated in various skits and stage plays. In an interview, Nikhil talked about his first experience of acting in a skit and said,
In the first year of my BE, I was very diligent and never missed a class but after that, I discovered my calling is elsewhere. I had performed in a skit during one of the cultural events at college and it was well received. I started by visiting the sets often. This gave me an idea of how things actually work in Tollywood.”
Nikhil, being from a non-filmy background, started his career as a junior artist. In 2006, he got an opportunity to assist the director and act in the Telugu film Hyderabad Nawabs in which he played the role of a college boy.
Nikhil Siddhartha (left) in a still from the film Hyderabad Nawabs (2006)
Film
Before making his debut as a lead actor, Nikhil appeared in small roles in a few Telugu films. In 2007, he made his debut with the film Happy Days in which he played the lead role of Rajesh.
Nikhil Siddhartha as Rajesh in a still from the film Happy Days (2007)
In an interview, Nikhil expressed his gratitude for giving an opportunity to an outsider, who had no connection with any film associate and said,
It was in 2007 that director Sekhar Kammula gave me a break. It’s very difficult for an outsider to get a break, especially in the Telugu film industry. Either you need to be a star kid, or a movie family associate. But, Kammula is such a genuine person that he auditioned all newcomers, gave four people a break, and the movie turned out to be a blockbuster. It gave life to so many actors. I was lucky because 1.2 lakh people auditioned for that movie and only four of us were selected to play the lead roles. It was like being 1 in 25,000 or more.
Nikhil has appeared in a few Telugu films like Ankit, Pallavi & Friends as Ankit (2008), Aalasyam Amrutam as Ram (2010), Surya vs Surya as Surya (2015), Ekkadiki Pothavu Chinnavada as Arjun (2016), Keshava as Keshava (2017), Arjun Suravaram as Arjun (2019), and Karthikeya 2 as Karthikeya Kumaraswamy (2022).
Nikhil Siddhartha as Arjun in a still from the film Ekkadiki Pothavu Chinnavada (2016)
In an interview, on being asked about his experience of playing the role of Karthikeya in the Telugu film Karthikeya 2, Nikhil said,
Being an integral part of a magnum opus franchise like Karthikeya 2 was indeed a pleasure. The film has the right mix of mythology combined with modern science. The story-telling experience is vivid, and I would want a larger set of audience to witness it.
Nikhil Siddhartha (middle) as Karthikeya in a still from the film Karthikeya 2 (2022)
Controversy
Being remarked as “a person with slave mentality”
In July 2020, Ram Gopal Verma, an Indian film director and screenwriter, released the trailer of his film ‘Powerstar,’ which was reportedly based on the life of Indian actor, filmmaker, and politician, Pawan Kalyan, the younger brother of actor-politician Chiranjeevi. Nikhil, who was disappointed with the trailer for portraying the life of Pawan Kalyan in a fictitious way, took a dig at Ram Gopal Verma and posted to Twitter, which read
Shikaram ni chusi Kukka entha Morigina.. a maha shikaram thala thippi chudadhu…meeeku Ardham ayyindi ga.” (No matter how loud a dog barks at a summit, the summit won’t even glance at it.)
Shikaram ni chusi Kukka entha Morigina.. a maha shikaram thala thippi chudadhu…
meeeku Ardham ayyindi ga… 👍🏼 #powerstar #PawanKalyan pic.twitter.com/1kzP2osyLR— Nikhil Siddhartha (@actor_Nikhil) July 22, 2020
After his tweet went viral, Ram Gopal Verma, on being asked about his response to Nikhil’s tweet, addressed Nikhil as a person with a slave mentality and said,
“I don’t know who Nikhil is; all these people are the same. They all like being his followers in hope that he has a good impression of them. All this stems from a pure slave mentality, but it’s fine. Nikhil must be a star, but they’re all the same, so how does it make a difference to me.”
Awards
- 2017: Youth Magical Award at the 49th Cinegoers Association Film Awards
Nikhil Siddhartha with the Youth Magical Award at the 49th Cinegoers Association Film Awards 2017
- 2022: 50 Days Shield Award for the film Karthikeya 2
Nikhil Siddhartha posing with his 50 Days Shield Award for the film Karthikeya 2
Car Collection
Nikhil Siddhartha owns a Range Rover and a Mercedes-Benz CLA Sports car.
Nikhil Siddhartha with his Range Rover
Nikhil Siddhartha with his Mercedes-Benz CLA Sports car
Tattoo
Nikhil has inked his parents’ names, Shyam and Veena, on his upper back.
Nikhil Siddhartha’s tattoo on his upper back, which denotes the name of his parents
Favourites
- Film(s): Andaz Apna Apna, Sholay, and 3 Idiots
- Web series: The Family Man, Breaking Bad, Better Call Saul, and Sacred Games
- Director(s): S. S. Rajamouli and Rajkumar Hirani
- Holiday Destination(s): Dubai and London
Facts/Trivia
- Nikhil is fondly called Chewi by his friends.
- Nikhil is fond of reading books, travelling, and cycling.
Nikhil Siddhartha with his electric cycle
- Nikhil, in an interview, revealed that he was paid a cheque of Rs 25,000 to play the role of Rajesh in the film Happy Days, and said,
He gave me a cheque of Rs 25, 000/- which I remembered till now, and still I am keeping the cheque with me.”
- Nikhil follows a non-vegetarian diet.
Nikhil Siddhartha’s Instagram post showcasing his eating habits
- In an interview, Nikhil talked about his love for his hometown and said,
I was born in a nursing home in Begumpet and went to HPS, my grandmother also lives there and I still live there. I am pretty much made in Begumpet.”
- Nikhil considers Shah Rukh Khan as his inspiration to work hard as he was also an outsider, who became a self-made celebrity without any film background. In an interview, on being asked about his favourite actor, Nikhil replied,
I am a huge Shahrukh Khan fan from the ‘Fauji’ and ‘Circus’ (television shows) time. I have watched every interview of his and learnt how he came from outside and became the King of Bollywood.”
- In June 2013, Nikhil lent his voice to the song Yo Yo Yo Memu Antha from the film Swamy Ra Ra.
- In 2016, Nikhil bagged the 27th position in the list of Most Desirable Men of 2016 by The Times of India.
Nikhil Siddhartha ranked at 27th position in the Most Desirable Men of 2016 list by The Times of India
- In 2016, Nikhil was invited as one of the judges at the Miss Diva 2016 auditions.
Nikhil Siddhartha posing with the models at the Miss Diva 2016 audition
- In an interview, Nikhil talked about the moment when he almost felt helpless and betrayed by the industry’s politics and revealed that a few producers, who were involved in power politics, tried to pull down his film Karthikeya 2 by postponing the release date of the film. He said,
Karthikeya 2 was initially slated to hit theatres on July 22, but that date was later changed to August 12. As the producers are now required to reschedule the release for October starting on this date. The powerless situation made me cry.”
- As an assistant director for the film Hyderabad Nawabs, Nikhil was paid a remuneration of Rs 1116.
- Nikhil is an active social worker, and he often donates money to relief funds and charitable trusts. In 2020, amid Covid-19, he came out in support of people, who were in need of medical supplies, food, or other amenities.
Nikhil Siddhartha celebrating Christmas with the kids of the NGO People with Hearing Impaired Network
- Nikhil talked about how his parents came up with his name and revealed that his name comprises two parts, Nikhil and Siddhartha. Nikhil came out from Lord Shiva’s name ‘Nikhileshwar’ and Siddhartha came out from his father’s name Shyan Siddhartha.
- Nikhil is often spotted consuming alcoholic beverages on various occasions with friends.
Nikhil Siddhartha holding a glass of champagne
- In an interview, Nikhil revealed that the filmmakers approximately took six years to make and release the film Karthikeya 2. He said,
After Kathikeya was released, director Chandoo Mondeti, DOP Karthik and me went on a trip to Sri Lanka. During our journey, we planned to make a sequel to Karthikeya. We planned it in 2016 but it took almost 6 years.
- Nikhil is a fitness enthusiast, and he often shares his workout pictures on various social media platforms.
Nikhil Siddhartha at the gym
- In July 2017, Nikhil was featured on the cover of Red magazine.
Nikhil Siddhartha on the cover of Red magazine
- In 2022, the Telugu film RRR was highly anticipated to be nominated for Oscars 2023, but the Gujarati film Last Film Show made India’s official entry to the academy awards 2023. In an interview, Nikhil talked about prioritizing the Indian awards over the academy awards and said,
People have showered love on RRR and that is a big win for the film. So, why do we need the Oscars? When we have Filmfare and when we have our own awards, the National awards, I do not give that much importance to the Oscars, I am sorry. Why do we need a certificate from the Oscars? Our films are amazing. Indian films are rocking. I was watching RRR in Spain. I was shooting there and the theatre was houseful. Spanish people were there, watching the film and coming back again. So, we don’t need any certificates from the Oscars.”
- In 2022, it was reported that after the release of the Telugu film Karthikeya 2, Nikhil was approached to make his Bollywood debut. Nikhil talked about being approached by Hindi filmmakers and said,
My first choice is that the film I work in should reach out to different people and they should be liked. But if I tell you honestly, I have got offers of films from two big production houses of Hindi cinema. Although I cannot reveal his name right now.”