From theatre to OTT and cinema, Karthik Rathnam has come a long way

OTT paved the way

A poster of ‘Vyavastha’. (KarthikRathnam3/ Twitter)

The actor believes that OTT paved the way for many aspiring and talented artists who were looking for an opening to a global audience.

“Stars never vanish since larger-than-life films are everyone’s favourite. There is good content in formula films. But since the Covid-19 pandemic, actors like us are getting more opportunities.”

He said, “Vyavastha, my recent courtroom drama, got a stupendous response. Director Anand Ranga, who made Oye (2009) and Shootout At Alair (2020), helmed this. For the first time, I had my moustache and beard removed and played a classy role.”

Did the actor do his homework for Vyavastha, as the web series clearly showed that he had his teeth sunk into the character?

Karthik Rathnam is more than happy to talk about it. “Few of my friends and relatives are lawyers. Before taking the role, I did ask them if they scream at the judge during arguments and if the court proceedings are as dramatic as shown in the movies.”

But guess what? He learnt that it’s never the case. “The lawyers respect the judges… I accompanied my lawyer-friends to the Nampally court to watch the proceedings and got a feel of it. I didn’t expect such a heartwarming response.”

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Changure Bangaru Raja 

Karthik Rathnam in ‘Changure Bangaru Raja’. (Supplied)

Karthik’s next theatrical release, Changure Bangaru Raja (Take a Bow Bangaru Raja), comes with an urban backdrop, too.

“Satish Varma, the associate director of Narapa, directed this one. Here, I tried comedy for the first time in my career. All these days, I was doing serious cinema,” he said.

During their schedules, Satish noticed that Karthik Rathnam had a funny bone and thought that his comedy timing would work for Changure Bangaru Raja.

“I play a money-minded mechanic and have to travel 20 km from my village to go to any place. These are fictional villages. A man gets murdered and Bangara Raju is blamed. What happens next and how he proves his innocence is worth watching on the big screen,” the young actor added.

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Besides him, Satya and Ravi Babu play key roles in the flick.

“The film’s screenplay is interesting. Our three key characters (Satya, Ravi Babu, and I) explain our side of the story as to how the murder is committed and how we have been linked to it,” Karthik explained.

A still of Karthik Rathnam. (Supplied)

He further added, “Satya plays the role of Papa Rao who is bad at studies. Once, when he flunks his exams, his mother gives him the job of taking care of the cattle. Ravi Babu is a contract killer and suffers from amnesia.”

Karthik Rathnam will next be seen in Sri Ranga Neethulu, an anthology, which is the last leg of shooting.

Besides him, Ruhani Sharma and Suhas are playing the lead roles in it.

“In the story, we three are connected in a way. I play a character who is addicted to weed due to which his family suffers a lot. We three have our flaws and how we overcome them forms the crux of Sri Ranga Neethulu. There is also a Telugu-Tamil bilingual, but it is too early to talk about it,” he signed off.