Kannada actor-director Rishab Shetty threw a shade on Bollywood after his National Award win for his superhit film ‘Kantara’. In a recent interview, Shetty called out Bollywood for portraying India in a bad light at international film festivals. He also mentioned that he wants to show India on a positive note through his films.

Rishab Shetty won the Best Actor award for his performance in ‘Kantara’ at the 70th National Film Awards. The Kannada actor has been promoting his upcoming film, ‘Laughing Buddha’, starring Pramod Shetty.

During a promotional interview with MetroSaga, Rishab Shetty shared his opinion on Bollywood. His interview in Kannada is roughly translated as saying, “Indian films, especially Bollywood, show India in a bad light. These art films are invited to global events and given a red carpet welcome. My nation, my state, my language is my pride. Why not show it on a positive note? That’s what I am trying to do.”

The interview clip is now going viral on social media.

His controversial remarks on Bollywood did not go down well with a certain section of people. Many users pinpointed his scenes with actor Sapthami Gowda in ‘Kantara’ and called him a hypocrite. When ‘Kantara’ released, Rishab Shetty and Sapthami Gowda’s intimate scenes were called out for objectification of women. It also sparked a debate about consent.

Here are some reactions:

On August 16, the 70th National Film Awards were announced. Rishab Shetty won the Best Actor for ‘Kantara’. He expressed his happiness on this honour and thanked the entire team for their support.

Here’s his statement:

On the work front, Rishab Shetty is busy with the shooting of his upcoming film, ‘Kantara: Chapter 1’, which is a prequel to the film of the same name. According to reports, the film is expected to hit theatres in early 2025. An official confirmation is still awaited.