Cinema is a field where everything is a risk: Raj B Shetty

Actor-director Raj B Shetty has been roped into play the lead in Rudhiram, which also starts Aparna Balamurali of Soorarai Pottru fame. The film, which is set to roll in 2023, will be helmed by ad-filmmaker Jisho Lon Antony.
Making the announcement on social media with a poster of the film, both Raj and Aparna wrote - The Axe Forgets, But the Tree Remembers. The intriguing poster screams mystery and Raj confirms, “Yes, it is a thriller. There are two reasons why I agreed to do this film. One is my character - I play a doctor and there is tremendous scope for performance. I am not a fan of typecast culture, so when I heard the script, the character turned out to be exactly what I was looking for. And the second one reason is Aparna.”

Stepping into unfamiliar territory with a debutant filmmaker would require a leap of faith. But according to Raj, “Any cinema is a risk. This whole concept of ‘debutant’ and ‘successful’ are wrong ideas. Sometimes a great film can be made by the team and the director can just be the name. If you work with the same director again, sans the team, the film may tank. It is all ideas and perception. Cinema is a field where everything is a risk. The best you can do is believe in the script, hope the team will execute it and try to give your best. You cannot have a fool-proof career. One needs to come out of the bubble and explore films. Only then we, actors and filmmakers, can have a richer experience.”
The film is being made in four languages - Malayalam, Kannada, Telugu and Tamil. “I just chose the script. They can dub it to 'n' number of languages; that is the makers’ choice. I don’t believe in the concept of making films in multiple languages. If the content is good and the film is capable, it will travel to other languages. If not, it won’t. However, I feel language is the only thing that divides us. Other than that, we are all filmmakers. Acting with good actors is always fun because acting is reacting. You can react well when you have great actors, otherwise you need to put in a lot of effort,” says Raj, adding, “I can understand Malayalam and communicate to some extent. The character has been designed keeping me in mind. So, if I put in some extra effort, I should be able to dub for the role too.”
We were bowled over by Raj’s onscreen persona