P. Ravi Shankar

P. Ravi Shankar, if you haven’t seen his name pop up, you’re probably not watching enough South Indian cinema. Born in Andhra Pradesh back in ‘66, this guy’s been all over the place—acting, writing, dubbing, you name it. He’s got this wild, intense energy on screen that you just can’t fake. People mostly know him from those mega-hits like Bãhubali: The Beginning (yeah, that epic blockbuster that had everyone’s jaw on the floor), Kempe Gowda (total action-fest, by the way), and Race Gurram (you want over-the-top entertainment, this one’s your jam). But the cool part? Shankar isn’t just some one-note villain or side character. The man’s got range; he can freak you out with his villain roles one second, then crack you up or make you root for him the next. He’s got this gravelly voice—super recognizable, seriously, you could pick it out of a crowd. He’s lent those vocal chops to a ton of dubbed films too, so even if you haven’t seen him, you’ve probably heard him. Honestly, he’s one of those guys in Indian cinema you just can’t ignore. He’s worked across languages—Telugu, Kannada, Tamil, you name it. The dude’s filmography is stacked. And he’s not slowing down. Whether he’s chewing scenery as a baddie or popping up in a totally different avatar, P. Ravi Shankar brings this no-nonsense, larger-than-life vibe that sticks with you.