My clash with Vijay is the high point of Kanaka: P Ravi Shankar

If we were to say that P Ravi Shankar is currently one of the busiest actors in south India, it would not be an understatement. Between being the most preferred

villain

in Kannada cinema and making his presence felt in Telugu and Tamil films as well, he also remains ‘the go-to voice to dub for Bollywood-import actors (villains) in Tollywood. Back from a month-long holiday in the US, where he visited his son and indulged in regular tourist activities, the actor has dived head-long into work on his many films, including providing his voice for Akshay Kumar in the Telugu version of

2.0

.
This week, the actor will be seen in the R Chandru-directorial, Kanaka, in which he is pitted against Duniya Vijay. “This is my second film with Vijay after

Rx Suri

and first with Chandru,” says Ravi Shankar.
Ravi Shankar adds, “In Rx Suri, even though my character was that of the villain, it was more comical, whereas my role in Kanaka has more depth to it. The story hinges on the clash between Vijay and me.”
Director Chandru actually draws parallels between the tale of

Kamsa

and Krishna and the characters played by Ravi Shankar and Vijay to explain this plotline. “I play a village head, who is the undisputed king of the region, until, of course, Vijay’s character comes along. How he overpowers me forms the rest of the story,” says the actor, who sports a salt-and-pepper look in the film, complete with traditional panche, et al.
The year, says Ravi Shankar, is looking good for him. “Yes, I am one of the first names that comes to the mind of most filmmakers in Kannada for the role of villain, but they have also realized that I have a flair for comedy. After playing Vikky Varun’s father in College Kumara, I have also been getting offers to play such roles, like, for instance, in Pogaru, in which I will be Dhruva Sarja’s father. So, I am now looking at a good mix of films that will not typecast me in any one particular kind of role,” he signs off.