Malayalam action hero Suresh Gopi is taking a rest from his busy schedules with guns and bullets.

For the time being he is preparing himself to become Raja Ravi Varma, one of the greatest painters India has produced. He will be playing the role of the famous painter in the Malayalam film Raja Ravi Varma which is planned to start in a month’s time will be made by award winning director Lenin Rajendran.

Even though a few similar projects was announced last year, this will be the first one to be made in Malayalam. Malayalee Film maker Shaji N Karun is also making one in English and Hindi, which bases the lives of the renowned painter when he was living in Bombay.

Raja Ravi Varma the 13th film by Lenin Rajendran will deal mostly with the trials and tribulations of the great artist who did not get due recognition during his lifetime.

Suresh Gopi, when speaking on the role yesterday at the state capital, remarked that it is a challenge for him to play the role of an artist because it was very different from the action roles that he usually played.

Gopi added that drawing or painting had never been his forte and he would have to spend some time with artists to give a touch of realism to the character that he is destined to play.

A debutante will play the female lead in the film as Varma's model and wife. The film will be shot in and around Mysore, Maharashtra and Kerala and will be one of the earlier releases of the star, next year.