Ahead of the film’s release, Karthikeyan interacted with the media. Excerpts from the interaction:

How is the film’s doctor different from other doctors?

Every doctor performs operations, but the operations done by the doctor in the film are very different. He is an army doctor. As we have shown in the teaser and trailers, the movie deals with human and organ trafficking. The focus is on who does it and why they do it. This makes for rest of the story.

Judging by the film’s trailer, Doctor looks like an actioner. Can we say it is a full-length actioner?

The movie has only two action sequences, but action and the thrill will be there. The protagonist and the antagonist will have a mind-bending approach towards each other rather than physical fights. As a whole, the film has a good blend of humour and thrills.

What pushed you to produce Doctor?

Director Nelson Dilipkumar has been a very close friend of mine since the days of my television career. I started my television career in 2007, and he directed the show, which I took part in. My trust in him made me produce this film.

What was the biggest challenge for you while shooting the film?

For me, the biggest challenge was to perform without expressing emotions. My character in the movie never emotes. He never expresses anything. He believes in action. In reality, I am more of an expressive guy.

There was a lot of talk about Doctor releasing on an OTT platform.

After the first wave of Covid-19, we waited as we had plans to go for a theatrical release once it was over. But when the second wave came, we were a little skeptical about the release of the film. I produced this movie on a first-copy basis and gave it to KJR Studios. They decide the business and everything. So, I told them to do whatever they felt right. But luckily, the second wave was there for a lesser amount of time, and as the scenario became clearer, we decided to go for the theatrical release.

The movie was made for the theatrical experience. Watching a film in a theatre with many people enjoying it is a unique experience altogether. That is the motivation for us to release the movie in cinema halls.

As an actor and producer, how did the pandemic affect you?

We stopped the shooting of the film during the first wave. Then again, we resumed the second schedule, and we prayed that everyone should remain safe and healthy. That was our main concern. Only after that work and business comes. We are fortunate enough to release the film in theatres now.

From a television career to now becoming an actor-producer, you have come a long way. What was the challenging part of your journey?

Crossing every day is the challenging part. I have to unlearn and learn so much. Sometimes, we have to revisit our past, and play that here in the present. There will be many calculations and risks. Whenever I do things related to films, I have to face and go through these processes.

Tell us about your Telugu film.

Producers will make an announcement officially. Right now, the discussions are going on, and everything is looking positive.

Are you looking forward to doing any OTT projects?

Right now, I am not very keen on OTT. OTT is booming. In the future, I might do an OTT project.

Tell us about your upcoming projects.

The shoot for the Ayalaan is completed. The movie is about the interaction between an alien and the film’s protagonist. Don is a feel-good college drama.