‘I want to be known in my own right’

The mere mention of Vinod Prabhakar, his body of work, and even his appearance on stage or on screen, will remind Kannada cinema fans of his father, Tiger Prabhakar. The latter, known for his action-oriented roles, began his journey as a character artiste, before taking up negative roles and rising to stardom as a hero.

For Vinod Prabhakar, carrying on his father’s legacy comes as a big responsibility. The actor, who is playing a pivotal role in the Darshan-starrer Roberrt, directed by Tharun Kishore Sudhir, says, “This has always been the case for star kids. Even as we try to bring our individuality, there is often a comparison with our parent’s work, and that is bound to add a lot of expectations. However, I am making sure that for the silver screen, I don’t remain in the shadow of my father.” He adds, “The entire credit of my father’s repertoire should go to him. I don’t want to be his shadow. I want to build my own identity in the industry. I want to be known in my own right.”

This is the second time Vinod is sharing screen space with Darshan, after Navagraha, and he is thankful to the Challenging Star, as well as director Tharun Kishore and producer Umapathy S, for giving him an opportunity to star in this big project. “I can’t reveal much about my role, since that’s been the strict instruction from the makers’ end. Except for a poster, not much has been disclosed about my character, and I don’t want to be a spoilsport. All I can say is that the role played by me will be remembered by the audience for a long time,” says Vinod.

He is excited that he will be seen in a project featuring well-known artistes. “The story is led by different characters, and I am fortunate to be a part of this film. Not only has it given me an opportunity to share screen space with celebrated actors, but at the same time, it highlights the versatility of our work. My other film, Lankasura, which is on floors, also has Yogesh playing the lead along with me. I am open to doing such films, if they come with a strong script,” he says.