Will Su From So’s success push Raj B Shetty to scale up and make big-budget films?

By his own admission, Raj B Shetty is a rich man now, owing to the success of his latest production venture, Su From So. The film, which, he says, has cost him around Rs 5.5 cr including production, promotions and release, has had 10-fold returns already, most of which has come from the Kannada original version. The Malayalam dubbed version has just begun contributing to this tally, while the Telugu one released only on August 8.

Raj B Shetty: It's never about scaling up or restricting; it's about telling a good story

Now that Raj’s banner has the wherewithal to make bigger budget movies, will he scale up operations, or is content doing the smaller, rooted and relatable tales he’s been known for? Speaking to Idlebrain during the promotions of the Telugu version of Su From So, this question was posed to Raj, who said, “It’s never been about scaling up or restricting; it’s about telling a good story. Whatever the story needs, we need to provide. I am not restricted to telling rural stories, or small-budget stories.”

Also read: Su from So movie review: JP Thuminad’s delightful comedy has its heart and soul in the right place 

Raj adds that the reason he chooses to tell stories in a certain budget because it allows him to maintain control over the filmmaking process. “The way we tell stories; the risks that we take and the experience that we can bring to audiences can be fresh. The moment someone adds a lot of budget, then, I need to listen to that person. This person may say that this won’t work for such a budget and I have to pay heed, because I don’t know,” says the actor-filmmaker, explaining why he prefers to keep things simple.

Most importantly, though, Raj says that he doesn’t believe that working in a big film will raise his image or stature. “I don’t believe that there is a big film or small film. Christopher Nolan’s greatest film for me is Following, which is the lowest of low-budget cinema. So, it’s never about the budget; it’s always about the idea. Our ideas will always be high-budget,” he signs off.

FAQs

Q: Who directed Su From So?

A: Tulu theatre artiste and actor JP Thuminad, who has acted in Kannada films like Ondu Motteya Kathe, Garuda Gamana Vrishabha Vahana, Toby, Sapta Sagaradaache Ello Side B and Swathi Mutthina Male Haniye, has written and directed the horror comedy Su From So. JP has been a long-time member of Raj B Shetty’s team of collaborators.

Q: Which OTT platform is Su From So on?

A: Su from So released in its Kannada original version in theatres on July 25, 2025. It is currently not on OTT, but is expected to drop on Amazon Prime Video after its theatrical run.