Though Nikki Galrani is just two films old in Tamil and is awaiting the release of her 3rd, Ko 2, she is already a popular face with the Tamil audiences. She has a very promising line up and will be having back to back releases in the coming months. In this chat with Kaushik LM for Only Kollywood, Nikki comes across as a straightforward and peppy person.
“I keep looking for something out of the ordinary and different. I get a kick out of doing something different, the stuff that other heroines would hesitate to pick up. With respect to Ko 2, the script surprised me regarding how tiny, unattended things can leave a big impact and make a big difference. It made me think as a normal citizen. I didn’t think about these things before and director Sarath sir explained it in a beautiful way. Sarath sir is well-prepared, fast and efficient. He didn’t work like a debut director, at all. He is like this distinction student approaching board exams. It was great joy working with him.
Ko 2 would raise awareness among citizens and will make the viewer think. We are not being preachy and are not taking sides. We are just throwing light on certain things that skip our attention and can create a change if attended to.”
“Doing this film has got me to think deeper and made me more responsible as a person. Just the small things like not littering the public space and using the dust bin, for example.”
Since she plays a reporter in the film, did she model her character on any specific TV journalist?
“Not just one person specifically, I watched lots of Tamil news channels to pick up the Tamil accent and the speed of talking.”
Interestingly, Nikki plays a reporter in Raghava Lawrence’s Motta Siva Ketta Siva (MSKS) too,
“Both these reporters are miles apart. In MSKS, I play a village based reporter decked in half sarees. In Ko 2, it’s current, western and chic. My character and Bobby’s go hand in hand as we are on a common mission (which is not kidnapping the CM as people think). I learnt a lot from Bobby but unfortunately, I did not get much space with Prakash Raj sir, except the climax scene.”
Ko 2 is not a remake …
“Ko 2 is not a remake, the director has just taken references from the Telugu film Prathinidhi. The plot is different. And Ko 2 is not just about politics and preachy messages, there is a lot of fun and humor with a comedy track involving me, Bala and Bobby. There 
And Ko 2 is not a sequel at all …
“I was very impressed with Ko when I saw it after signing on for Ko 2. Since it was a big blockbuster, Ko 2 had that expectation and hype from Day 1. There are lot of questions regarding the supposed similarities between the two films, but Ko 2 is very different. It is a new script, centered on media and politics like Ko, and not a sequel at all.”
The follow-up to Ko 2 …
“In Vishnu’s Velainu Vandhutta Vellaikaaran (releasing on June 3), I play a strict cop in a complete comedy film. It would be a typical Ezhil sir’s film. I have a heroic intro fight scene and an opening song too. I had to learn to fight, and it isn’t the typical heroine role again.”
Nikki also has director Rajesh’s Kadavul Irukaan Kumaaru which she calls the Tamil version of Hangover and the Malayalam film Team 5 with Sreesanth, who is making his acting debut. She is also in the process of signing 2 more Tamil films.
And like the rest of us, Nikki is also super thrilled about Superstar Rajini’s Kabali,
“As many know, I am a hardcore Superstar fan and am waiting for Kabali eagerly. In the teaser, I loved his retro look a lot and the way he says ‘Kabali da’.”
We wish Nikki Galrani good luck for all her upcoming projects!
Interviewed by Kaushik LM