SS Karthikeya on Rajamouli’s Mahabharatam, Fahadh Faasil & Varanasi | NTR Jr | Mahesh babu | Thyview

Interview Highlights (SS Karthikeya • Taibu Talks)

SS Karthikeya opens by recalling a highly emotional, family-like public event where Tarak and Rajamahal joined the speech and movie experience. He explains that his own speech wasn’t even “prepared”—the schedule (Kochi → Chennai) left him no time, so his words came out spontaneously. He believes that genuineness is what moved people.

He compares the evening to the film’s tone: a rare blend of fun and real emotion. Even with a big name like Tarak present, he says the atmosphere still felt light and heartfelt.

Reactions from Major Names

Karthikeya shares reactions from big names, noting that Mahesh Babu and Tarak both loved the movie and were emotional by the end—Mahesh even hugged him tightly. He adds that even the children (Abhi and Bhargav) “had a blast,” and their encouragement boosted his confidence.

He also jokes about the way personalities show up in expressions:

• Tarak is more “normal”
• Mahesh and Tarak/Manish-style reactions come out louder Despite differences in how they react, their sentiments about the film align with the team’s intention.

Production Insights: Varanasi Shoot & Risk-Taking

The conversation shifts to the production side. The “Varanasi shoot” is described as intense. Karthikeya mentions that Mahesh had short breaks but stayed involved—talking mainly about “Don’t Trouble the Trouble.”

He then discusses his entry into production, despite the risks—explaining he was influenced by advice like:

“Not taking risk is the biggest risk.”

He connects this mindset to the family’s history of taking chances, from earlier films like Magadheera to the big-budget uncertainties of Baahubali.

Bringing Back a Kids/Family Feel

Karthikeya highlights an intention to restore a kids/family genre vibe. While Telugu cinema has increasingly moved toward Pan-India trends, he describes their film as a “breath of fresh air” for both kids and adults.

Working with Sara (Child Character)

When asked about the child character Sara, he praises the child actor’s professionalism and explains how filming continued despite challenging realities such as:

• late nights
• set logistics

He also credits the dog trainer, who prepared months in advance so the performances would feel natural.

Fahadh Faasil’s Debut-Director Impact

One of the biggest highlights is Karthikeya’s praise for Fahadh Faasil in his debut-director experience. He says Fahadh surprised everyone on the first day of the set—with strong energy, modulation, and apparently internalized dialogue. This came after meticulous script preparation.

He also describes a climax moment where Fahadh’s expression alone—without relying on monitor visuals—brought tears to the team, calling it a peak of intensity.

Marketing & Audience Connection

Karthikeya turns to marketing and audience connection, emphasizing that beyond trailer appeal, music drives emotional engagement.

He gives special credit to composer Kaalabhairava for raising intensity in the climax/pre-climax portions.

He points to the international run of RRR as a key lesson: make films that fully satisfy your core audience (Telugu rootedness), and success can travel without forcing broader appeal.

Home Discussions & Future Industry Trends

He shares that disagreements at home are mostly light—family members still debate movies, especially Telugu films, and treat it as good fun.

Looking ahead, he discusses evolving industry patterns:

• more Pan-India “big ticket” films
• increasing opportunities for smaller, character-driven stories
• women-oriented and family-focused genres getting space

Action Sequence (Varanasi) & Mahabharatam Format

He touches on upcoming action work for the Varanasi sequence, describing it as edge-of-your-seat action—different from the scale of RRR/Baahubali.

When asked about how the Mahabharatam project might be structured (films vs. a long-running “series” like Game of Thrones), Karthikeya says Rajamouli isn’t approaching it that way and has no such plans right now.

He also refuses to spoil visualization details, saying Rajamouli will only show and execute the idea himself.

Rapid-Fire Round (Favorites)

Top 3 Directors (excluding Rajamouli)

• Sukumar
• Martin’s Kasi (as phrased)
• Panga (as phrased)

3 Favorite Telugu Films

• Eega
• Manmadhudu
• Mahanati (He also mentions Baahubali 2 and RRR elsewhere.)

3 Favorite Indian/International Films

• Wolf of Wall Street
• Obsession (mentioned)
• an Avatar-type “experience” film

Main Personalities Mentioned

• SS Karthikeya
• NTR Jr (Tarak/NTR referenced)
• Mahesh Babu
• S. S. Rajamouli
• Fahadh Faasil
• Kaalabhairava (composer)
• Abhi and Bhargav (children referenced)
• Sukumar
• “Martin’s Kasi” / “Panga” (directors referenced)