Actor Nikhil Siddhartha is one of those performers who made his name in the industry gradually. Film by film, he slowly built his own space. The real turning point came with Karthikeya 2. After the film became a surprise pan-India success, it expanded his reach beyond just the Telugu industry. Recently, he said something in an interview that has fans talking about him once again.
In the interview, he spoke about how, according to him, the Telugu film industry is one of the most respectful industries for women. He said that every actress there is treated like a princess.
He added that if required, actors even sacrifice their caravans for their female co-stars. He also suggested that the Telugu film industry is a very safe and happy space for actresses.
He acknowledged that while there are bigger stars like Mahesh Babu and Prabhas, the female stars of the industry are still respected by their male counterparts and are held in high regard.
Nikhil’s statement has ignited a lot of conversation online, with many fans saying that this is not true most of the time. They pointed out that many actresses face workplace harassment, gender inequality, and significant pay gaps compared to their male co-stars, along with various other issues.
Fans argue that some actors, like Nikhil, may believe that just because they personally treat women with respect and everything seems fine on their end, the overall reality must be the same, which, they say, is not necessarily true.
Several Telugu actresses have spoken about being reduced to sexual objectification in films and have even mentioned such concerns in reports and committees that address workplace harassment and gender inequality.
While it may be true that actresses are treated better in comparison to some other industries, making bold statements such as saying they are treated like princesses has not gone down well with many fans.
Meanwhile, Nikhil is working on his upcoming film Swayambhu, which marks a big leap for an actor like him and brings with it considerable pressure.
“I think the most RESPECTED industry for women is the Telugu industry, and we treat everybody like PRINCESSES.
If we have to SACRIFICE our CARAVAN, we do it for them. I think its a very SAFE and Happy industry for actresses.”
– Actor #Nikhil | #Swayambhu pic.twitter.com/iNooQ2ufVN
— Whynot Cinemas (@whynotcinemass_) March 1, 2026
