Kanna Ravi: Not your typical Friday actor
In this candid chat with DT Next, actor Kanna Ravi opens up on his upcoming web series Veduvan, in which he plays the lead character of Seyyon. He says that he doesn’t want to be a Friday hero with constant releases and be known as an actor who does roles that the audience can relate to
Kanna Ravi, Poster of the series
CHENNAI: Ever since the release of Mandela (2021), Kanna Ravi has been a name that the Tamil audience has stood up and taken notice of. Be it films like Rathasaatchi and the recently-released Coolie, or shows like Fingertip and Inspector Rishi, he has made the best of both worlds. “I am sure Veduvan will be an addition to the list,” he begins with a smile. Having played a politician or a police officer, the actor has managed to stand out with his performances in each of these titles he has been a part of. “For me, the practice of picking and choosing good scripts came from my short film days. I have done some hundreds of short films and there is this friend of mine, who has seen at least 20 of mine. He told me that I somehow perform well but that is not all about it. Only when the script is good and every other character in the series performs well, will I be noticed as well. That idea got etched deep into my mind. Later, when I visited the filmography of the actors who I admire for their choice of scripts-- Ranbir Kapoor, Rajkummar Rao, Tom Hanks, and Leonardo DiCaprio, they all have done that,” he adds.
That is when Kanna Ravi ensured that he will not be another Friday hero in the industry. “Five to 10 movies release every week and several actors may come and go. Though it is difficult to refuse a project, I provide some clarity on why I don’t want to be a part of it in a polite manner. Either the director or the production house have always been pitching me better stories and characters and we look forward to collaborating in the future. I don’t want to be a part of every film that is made. I want to play roles that the audience can resonate with,” shares Kanna.
Veduvan, a Z5 Originals Premiere, will be available for the audience from October 10. “I liked the depth my character of Seyyon has in Veduvan. He is an undercover cop and is a man of many faces in the show. It was challenging and exciting. I like to play the role of a common man where the audience can relate. Veduvan has that potential. In fact, we filmed in double call sheets and finished the shoot in less than 20 days. You could see me looking exhausted in the series,” he laughs.
He also lauds the team of Veduvan and says, “Other characters in the series too are strongly written by director Pavan. Sanjeev Anna plays an important role, Sravnitha, Jeeva Ravi and Vinusha have all brought a lot of value to the show.” With the release of Khaki Squad, Kanna will be seen playing a cop yet again. “I had inhibitions in playing a cop in back-to-back narratives but Seyyon and Jeevanandham are diametrically opposite to one another. After the release of Veduvan, I will be dedicating my entire prep to play Jeevanandham. Instead of signing back-to-back movies, I like taking my time in dedicating myself to play one character perfectly,” he concludes.
