Adhipatra actor Roopesh Shetty: Doing films is not a big deal; doing films that people watch is

Years before Bigg Boss Kannada 9 winner Roopesh Shetty got into the film industry, he knew that cinema is what he wanted to be associated with. At the time, he did not have clarity about what exactly he wanted to do and where, but he knew that acting would be the eventual calling. As someone from a middle-class family in Mangaluru, Roopesh knew that getting into films would not be easy.

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Speaking to Kairam Vaashi, as part of the promotions of his next in Kannada, Adhipatra, which releases on February 7, Roopesh said that when he started out, he knew he was a jack of all trades, but master of none, having tried his hand at mono-acting, Yakshagana, Tulu rap for music albums and a telefilm, besides cricket commentary and radio jockeying.

Roopesh Shetty on how he turned his career trajectory around

Once he began getting movie offers both in Tulu and Kannada cinema, it did not take Roopesh long to realize something. “After doing around 8 films that were not commercially viable, it struck me that doing films is not a big deal; being a part of good films that audiences watch is what matters. By then, I’d come a long way and I knew that I’d have to strike out on my own. Given all that I did to get into the industry, why not put the same effort into cinema and that’s when I set out to direct Girgit,” says Roopesh.

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The Tulu comedy film was a massive commercial hit, which changed Roopesh’s career trajectory. He followed that up with Circus as his second directorial, which also did well and recently wrapped up his third Jai, all the while also doing the odd Kannada film. Adhipatra is his latest, in which Roopesh plays a cop investigating a spate of murders that are believed to be the work of a Brahmarakshasa. But is it really a demonic spirit or is there more than meets the eye? That is the central crux of director Chayan Shetty’s film, which also stars Jhanvi, Deepak Rai, Prakash Thuminad, among others.