Rudhiram director Jisho Lon Antony on how and why Raj B Shetty was cast

When Malayalam filmmaker Jisho Lon Antony began approaching artistes from the industry for his survival thriller Rudhiram, Kannada actor-filmmaker Raj B Shetty was not part of that list. Jisho was looking for someone from Malayalam cinema to be pitted against Aparna Balamurali in the film. But when he spoke to the actors that he was keen on for the role, the feedback that he received was that there are traits to the character of Mathew in Rudhiram, which would not work for their ‘image’ or the kind of roles they’d been associated with.

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Jisho: I needed an artiste... not a star

“Raj sir was not part of my initial plan. But after the response I got from the actors in Malayalam cinema, it struck me that I needed an artiste who is not bound by an image and can slip into any character. That is how I thought of Raj sir – Mathew is a character that only a performer can bring to life. I needed an artiste, not a star, who is bound by image limitations. Raj sir is a star, no doubt, but, more importantly, he is a great performer,” says Jisho.

The filmmaker adds that he got Aparna on board first and it was only after she greenlit the project that he knew he could get it on floors. Then came the question of getting an actor opposite her who would perform just as well, if not better, than her. Composer Midhun Mukundan, who was initially in line to do the music of the film, suggested Raj for the project. While Midhun had to later excuse himself owing to his busy schedule, Raj stayed on, as he liked the narration he got.

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Rudhiram was to be Raj’s debut in Malayalam cinema, but delays in production and the subsequent release meant that it’s now his third in the industry. He debuted as the antagonist in Megastar Mammootty’s Turbo, which he followed up with a role in Kondal.