Raj B Shetty says ‘Su From So’ got OTT deal only after becoming a big hit; says, rejected low offer to protect Kannada cinema

Kannada actor and filmmaker Raj B Shetty backed and starred in the superhit Kannada film ‘Su From So’. The film was released in theatres on July 25, 2025 and became a big success with strong audience support. Recently, he spoke about his experience of locking the OTT deal for the film. He said the deal happened only after the film became a huge hit in theatres. Before release, he had shown the film to many OTT platforms. But none of them agreed to buy it at that time.During a conversation with Kannada Filmy Club, Raj B Shetty said that after two weeks in release, when the film was doing very well, he finally got an offer. But the amount was only half of what he later received. “But then I told them that I have already made a lot of money. I will not insult Kannada cinema by agreeing to that amount. Raj explained that platforms could use that low deal as an example later. He said, “Tomorrow, they can turn around and quote this deal to other filmmakers, stating that they got a superhit film at that price range and that they would, therefore, not pay as much for another film.” He added that this could reduce the value of other Kannada films. “I said that I would rather put it on YouTube for free, because the OTT rights amount really did not matter anymore,” he said. Raj B Shetty also spoke about the bigger problem. He said Kannada cinema does not get enough regular hits. Because of this, platforms push pay-per-view deals. He said, “There are teams who claim to have made money in this format, but no one knows for sure.” He believes quality films can change things. He said, “Once we up our game in terms of quality, we can sit down and have conversations with the platforms.”On the work front, Raj will be seen in Rakkasapuradhol. It is a thriller directed by debutant Ravi Saranga. Raj plays a cop for the first time.