Shankar was apprehensive about playing loverboy

Kannada film lovers saw him onscreen as Sankoch in ‘Kirik Party’ and loved him for his character. After that, actor Shankar Murthy S R is flooded with work. He will soon be seen in movies like ‘Divangata Manjunatha Na Geleyaru’, ‘Nanna Prakara’, ‘Curious Cases of Yedebadita’ and ‘Rupaayi’. The actor talks to Tini Sara Anien about his varied roles and more.

You are playing different roles in ‘Rupaayi’ and ‘Curious Cases...’. Tell us more.

I underplay my character in ‘Rupaayi’. I do not talk much to the other characters in the film. In ‘Curious Cases...’, I play a village boy. I have to romance a neighbour in the film which was quite a task.

Compared to Sankoch, how challenging have your other roles been?

I am lucky that I am playing different characters compared to Sankoch. I was worried that I would be offered similar roles but thankfully things have worked out well for me. From playing a negative shade in ‘Nanna Prakara’ to a lover boy in ‘Curious Cases...’, all my characters are varied. It was really challenging for me to romance someone on screen but acting workshops helped me immensely. Also, playing a negative shade was not easy but I kept watching a lot of films which enhanced my performance. I had to learn how to smoke for the role too.

Every week new films release and new faces arrive in the industry. What do you feel are your strong points?

Before ‘Kirik Party’, I didn’t know the challenges of being an actor. Once the film happened, I realised that it is difficult to play someone that one is not. I used to do a lot of homework and I realised that I am very dedicated in getting the nuances of a character right. When I am convinced about a character, I will go out of my way to work on the role.

Is there a genre of movie that you would like to explore?

I would love to do more comedy films and films which require subtle acting. Comic films easily build a connection with the audience and people can relate to the role easily. Subtle acting is what people appreciate nowadays and I want to be remembered for such work too.

Some directors you would like to work with?

I would love to work with Rakshit Shetty and Rishab Shetty again. I remember I went for the audition of ‘Kirik Party’ because I wanted to meet Rakshit but I met Rishab sir instead. It was a lot of fun working with the duo. I love Yogaraj Bhat’s movies for the humour, the importance given to each character and originality. Suri sir’s films bring out the best of each artiste on screen. I hope to be able to work with these great directors one day.