Actor-director Raj B Shetty has had an eventful year, with a busy schedule of film releases and upcoming projects. He is thrilled about working with his favorite director, Anurag Kashyap, and constantly traveling between Bengaluru, Mysuru, and Kerala for shoots. Raj has gained a significant fan following in Kerala following the success of his last film, Turbo, with Mammootty. As a result, he has two more Malayalam films lined up. Despite the hectic workload, Raj is fully immersed in the creative process, juggling multiple projects including producing, writing, directing films, and a multi-lingual web series. He emphasizes the importance of utilizing every minute for creativity, whether it's preparing for acting roles or working on other creative endeavors. Raj maintains that staying busy has not hindered his creative process, as he dedicates focused time to each task. He believes in being open to any outcome when striving to create quality films.Several films including Toby, Swathi Mutthina Male Haniye, and Roopanthara received critical acclaim but did not perform well at the box office. The filmmaker acknowledges that he cannot compel audiences to watch his films, expressing a practical approach and a desire to keep learning. He anticipated a similar response for Swathi, assuming better reception on OTT platforms, which turned out to be the case for Roopanthara as well. Despite the lack of theatrical audience for such films, he considers them successful, with Roopanthara running for three weeks in cinemas. He emphasizes the importance of being content with any outcome when striving to create good cinema.

Success in a film can empower an actor, leading to opportunities to produce and tell the stories they are passionate about. Raj B Shetty, reflecting on the Malayalam film industry's rapid production pace and recent successes, notes the importance of maintaining his acting approach while adapting to meet evolving industry expectations. He sees the pan-India trend as a fleeting phenomenon, emphasizing the constantly changing landscape where defining success or failure becomes irrelevant.Everyone's desire to focus on creating big films ultimately led to failure. While big films are important, they require a significant amount of time and resources. Instead, there is a need for a balance in the industry. In addition to big star-driven movies released periodically, there should be room for content-driven films that can have a successful theatrical run of 4-5 weeks. These films are crucial for the benefit of theater owners and filmmakers. Unfortunately, the current lack of such content-driven films is a clear gap in the industry.

The experience of working with Mammootty was transformative for me as an actor. Our conversations provided insightful guidance on physical, psychological, and mental preparation for a character. Each interaction left me feeling inspired and motivated, leading to a heightened hunger for diverse roles. It is through these continuous learning experiences that I am gradually evolving as an actor.