Exclusive! 'Karthikeya 3 to go on floors in November': confirms Nikhil Siddhartha at the OTTplay Changemakers Awards 2023

The OTTplay ChangeMakers Awards 2023 saw some of the best and brightest talent convene under one roof to honour and celebrate the young trailblazers of the Indian entertainment industry. From Rishab Shetty, Rajkumar Rao, Guneet Monga to Pradeep Ranganathan, Sapthami Gowda, Babil Khan, etc., the glittery night was bustling with talent and zest - one among them was the very talented Telugu star Nikhil Siddhartha, who fittingly took home the 'Trailblazer of the year' award'.

The 37-year-old actor secured his biggest box office hit in Karthikeya 2 in 2022 and gained prominence across the country with his 'pan-Indian' hit. Speaking to the media at the OTTplay ChangeMakers, Nikhil highlighted that his film is a perfect example of the fact that content, in today's environment, takes precedence over superstardom. 

In the same vein, Nikhil was urged to speak about the prospective third instalment of the Karthikeya series, also known as Karthikeya 3. Previously, Nikhil had confirmed that Karthikeya 3 was certainly on the cards and that Chandoo Mondeti, the writer and director of the series, had already impressed him with the plot. The third part would also be rendered in 3D to make things bigger and better. 

Other reports claimed that the film, in all likelihood, would be kicked off in 2024, considering the scale and the reach of the project. 

Speaking to the media at the OTTplay Changemakers Awards, Nikhil Siddhartha confirmed that Karthikeya 3 will actually go on floors in 2023, confirming that the much-awaited instalment is very much in development. 

"The year 2022 really proved that 'content is king' - we saw films of all kinds work. RRR has found a global presence, Pathaan is doing so well and so did Brahmastra and Kantara. I am very happy that Karthikeya 2 is part of the list. As far as Karthikeya 3 is concerned, I can tell you it is definitely arriving and we are going to start shooting in November. And it will be made in 3D," said Nikhil Siddhartha.

Chandoo Mondeti made his directorial debut in 2014 with Karthikeya (starring Nikhil Swati Reddy, Tanikella Bharani, Rao Ramesh and others) scored a major box-office hit right away. He would extend the storyline to churn out Karthikeya 2 in 2022 (with Anupama Parameswaran and Anupam Kher joining the cast) and lend the film the 'pan-India' status - made at a budget of Rs. 15 crores, Karthikeya 2 collected close to Rs. 122 crores worldwide.