Each story demands that we unlearn something from the last one: Raj B Shetty

Cinema should surprise you, says Raj B Shetty — a belief that has guided his journey as an actor, writer and filmmaker. In just eight years, he has built a space in Kannada cinema rooted in curiosity and honesty. Every film is an act of un learning. In a conversation with us, he reflects on Su from So, his evolving pro cess, changing audiences, and his next film, Jugari Cross, adapted from K P Poornachan dra Tejaswi’s novel. Excerpts from a chat:

‘The best films are born when you surrender to them’
“Every story demands that we unlearn something from the previous one. The best films are born when you stop trying to control them. When you surrender to the story, honesty enters the frame. For me, every film begins like the first — with doubt, curiosity and a little madness. That’s the only way to stay true to cinema,” says Raj.

‘SU FROM SO WAS AN EXPERIMENT BORN OUT OF FAILURE’
“Su from So was an experiment,” Raj says, adding, “A response to long-standing industry judgments — and it came from failure. Our previous film didn’t achieve what we hoped, so we examined what went wrong and carried that learning forward." The success of Su from So, he adds, was a quiet reassurance. He explains, “We didn’t become fans of our own success. If you cling to one success, you stop growing. We’d already faced failure, so when the film worked, we let go of the hype and pressure. What it gave us instead was economic freedom — and the confidence to keep experimenting.”

“More importantly,” he says, “we made sure nothing changed us. Success shouldn’t make you feel you know everything. The next film may or may not work — and that’s fine. We’ll still start from scratch, chasing the same curiosity.”

‘I’VE LEARNED NEW WAYS OF APPROACHING CINEMA’
Eight years after Ondu Motteya Kathe, Raj has gon on to projects like 45. “I don’t think I’ve changed much as a writer,” he says. “But I’ve been exposed to new styles, people and ideas. The curious sto ryteller is still intact. Perhaps the only change is that I’ve learned people management and how to handle pressure,” he says.
‘THE AUDIENCE IS WHERE THE REAL CHANGE IS’
Raj believes the real shift in Kan nada cinema lies with viewers. “Audiences have evolved. They’re more open and value honesty. New talent is limited, but the audience has changed. A few good films don’t trigger a revolution — audi ences do. Today, viewers are pa tient with stories that don’t follow formula. Their curiosity forces us to up our game,” he says.

‘Tejaswi’s language is simple, but his ideas are profound’
Raj now enters Tejaswi’s literary universe with Jugari Cross. “I’ve loved Tejaswi sir’s writing for as long as I can remember. His language is simple, yet his ideas run deep. His worlds and characters feel familiar, yet extraordinary," he says, adding, “I’ve worked with director Gurudatta Ganiga before in Karavali and have immense respect for him. It’s too early to speak about my role, but I’m excited.”