Nikhil Kumar decodes his next, Rider; says it is a family entertainer with loads of action

The trailer of the film will be released at a special event on December 16 in Kolar, on the occasion of Nikhil’s father, former chief minister HD Kumaraswamy’s birthday.

Nikhil Kumar in a still from the film

When the teaser of Nikhil Kumar’s Rider came out, it appeared to be an action heavy story. But since then, the team released two romantic numbers, leaving audiences confused as to the genre the filmmakers have followed. Nikhil, though, says there’s no reason for such confusion. “If you look at both my earlier films, be it Jaguar or Seetharama Kalyana, they’ve had ample doses of action and yet were family dramas. Rider, in that sense, is no different. Yes, we released an action teaser, because that is the kind of content that is appreciated in other markets, like Tollywood, for instance. That’s for the masses. Having said that, I must add that Rider has a love story at its core, which will appeal to young people. We are trying to show them the purity of true love with this film,” says Nikhil, addressing the media ahead of Rider’s release on December 24.

Watch the teaser here:

The team, we hear, is also gearing up for the trailer launch, which will be held at a special event on December 16 in Kolar, on the occasion of Nikhil’s father, HD Kumaraswamy’s birthday. The event will be attended by Nikhil’s grandfather, former prime minister HD Deve Gowda, as well as other dignitaries from film and political circles. But that’s not the only pre-release promotional event, says Nikhil, adding that the team is also looking at heading to Mandya. “I have a personal connect with Mandya, where I contested elections from and have an ongoing relationship with the people. So, I wanted an event for Rider to be held there, which the production house has also agreed upon. We have not decided a date for this, but it should happen soon,” he says.

Meanwhile, what also caught everyone’s attention at the media briefing was Nikhil’s longer hair and bearded look. What gives? Nikhil laughs and adds, “Everyone’s been telling me to cut my hair. But this is for a film that I will start in January. The team feels that this look will suit the character, although we have not finalized the same. But yeah, I began growing out my hair and beard for a film and if the look test works well, I may not be able to get rid of it for a while. This is a massy commercial film, for which I need a rugged look. But, as is the case with all my films, this too will have a strong emotional element, especially a mother-son sentiment.”

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