Raj B Shetty has built a career around characters that reveal more through restraint than speech. Whether as an actor, director, or producer, he consistently gravitates towards layered storytelling and emotionally conflicted roles, and Raj once again steps into a character that thrives on internal chaos rather than dialogue-driven drama. With Rakkasapuradhol set to release this week, Raj embraces complexity over comfort, reinforcing his belief that silence, when performed with conviction, can often speak louder than words. For Raj, silence is not merely a performance choice. It is a storytelling philosophy that has been shaped over years of filmmaking.
“I really love silence. I always try to reduce dialogue for my characters. If there are too many dialogues in cinema, somehow, I cannot connect with them,” he says, pointing to his own films as examples of this approach. “Garuda Gamana Vrishabha Vahana originally had nearly 120 pages, and I reduced it to about 60 to 68 pages. Swathi Mutthina Male Haniye was just 48 pages long. Silence can communicate emotions much deeper, though performing through silence is very challenging.”
That philosophy finds a natural extension in Rakkasapuradhol, where Raj plays a police officer battling personal demons while investigating a complex crime. The actor says the role demanded intense emotional restraint.
“In this film, I do not speak much. The character communicates through silence and that makes it difficult and exciting at the same time,” he explains. Raj describes the character as someone carrying a deep, unresolved conflict. “The conflict already exists within him, even before the case begins. He lives in his own zone and carries emotional baggage. It is about an imperfect person trying to solve what appears to be a perfect crime. That contradiction fascinated me.”
The project also marks Raj’s collaboration with debut director Ravi Saranga and producer Ravi Varma, an experience he calls an important learning phase. “One of the reasons I act in films directed by others is to learn something new. These experiences taught me how collaboration works and how technicians shape a film creatively and commercially. Investing in the right team is very important,” he says.
Raj also views Rakkasapuradhol as part of a larger industry requirement: commercially viable thrillers made on controlled budgets.
“I strongly believe such films must work. When mid-budget thrillers succeed, they generate revenue and encourage more filmmakers to attempt similar subjects. For an industry to remain healthy, small and medium-scale films must perform well,” he says.
His understanding of cinema extends beyond performance into industry economics and audience psychology. Raj sees filmmaking as a democratic and evolving ecosystem. “Every year, nearly 250 to 260 films are made, but maybe four or five become hits. Those hits happen only because all the other films are made. From 20 attempts, maybe two succeed, and those two inspire 40 more attempts. That is how cinema grows. There is no absolute good or bad. Success often follows failure, and failure leads to learning.”
Balancing multiple characters simultaneously presents its own challenges. Raj admits that switching between roles during overlapping schedules demands mental precision. “Sometimes even small things like props or accessories help me stay connected to a character. Ideally, it is better to complete one character and then move to another, but schedules rarely allow that,” he says.
Raj’s career choices reflect his refusal to follow formula-driven filmmaking. He says predictability often kills creative excitement. “I do not like going behind trends or formulas. It becomes boring. I am always interested in exploring genres or attempting something new. Cinema should constantly evolve,” he says. At the same time, he acknowledges the importance of directors and technicians in shaping a film’s identity. “There is no cinema without directors. But storytelling improves when experienced technicians and fresh talent work together.”
Although Raj has gradually expanded his presence into industries like Malayalam and Tamil cinema, Kannada remains his creative base. He says working in his home industry allows him greater creative involvement.
“As a filmmaker and technician, I have more creative freedom in Kannada. I can participate in promotions and marketing. Outside Kannada, I mostly go as an actor. I treat those projects like learning opportunities, almost like film school,” he says.
Calling 2026 a year of experimentation, Raj says he is consciously choosing varied characters and storytelling forms. “Maybe by the time Karavali releases this year, I will sit back and analyse this phase,” he says. His long-term vision, however, extends beyond linguistic boundaries. “We should not make films only for Kannada audiences. We should make films that the entire country can watch. Every film should travel.”
Raj continues to observe cinema at the grassroots level, regularly interacting with distributors, theatre owners and ticket collectors to understand audience reception. He is also planning to produce a film rooted in North Karnataka. “I am still a student of cinema. Exploration never stops,” he says.