Raj B. Shetty

Raj B. Shetty Biography

Raj B. Shetty is an Indian actor, director, screenwriter and producer who works primarily in Kannada cinema and has also appeared in Malayalam films. He was born on 5 July 1987 in Bhadravathi, Karnataka, into a Tulu-speaking Bunt family, completed his schooling at Bharathi English Medium School in Mangalore and took a postgraduate degree in Social Work at Roshni Nilaya, Mangalore.

Before entering films he worked as a radio jockey at Big 92.7 FM, wrote advertising scripts and directed short films in Kannada and Tulu, and assisted actor-director Upendra as a writer and assistant director. He wrote, directed and starred in his debut feature Ondu Motteya Kathe (2017), which won the Filmfare Award for Best Film – Kannada, and followed it with Garuda Gamana Vrishabha Vahana (2021), set in Mangaluru’s underworld, which brought him the Filmfare Award for Best Director – Kannada and won Best Film at the SIIMA Awards.

In 2019 he co-founded the production house Lighter Buddha Films with cinematographer-editor Praveen Shriyan; its credits include Garuda Gamana Vrishabha Vahana, Swathi Mutthina Male Haniye (2023), Toby (2023) and the 2025 horror-comedy Su From So, which he produced and acted in. He entered Malayalam cinema opposite Mammootty in Turbo (2024), a role that won him the Mazhavil Entertainment Award for Entertainer of the Year in a negative role. He also choreographed the climax sequence of Kantara (2022), a film in which he does not appear as an actor.

Basic Details

• Full Name: Raj B. Shetty
• Date of Birth: 5 July 1987
• Age: 39 (as of 2026)
• Birthplace: Bhadravathi, Karnataka, India
• Nationality: Indian
• Occupations: Actor, director, screenwriter, producer
• Industry: Kannada cinema (Sandalwood); also Malayalam films
• Years Active: 2015 – present
• Education: Bharathi English Medium School, Mangalore; postgraduate degree in Social Work, Roshni Nilaya, Mangalore
• Production House: Lighter Buddha Films (co-founded 2019)

Career Highlights

Awards