Suniel Shetty On Why He Doesn't Do South Films: 'They Cast Hindi Heroes As Antagonists'

Suniel Shetty recently opened up about why he primarily works in Bollywood and not in South Indian cinema, even though he’s a Mangalorean. He said that while he does get many offers, he chooses not to sign those films because Bollywood heroes are mostly cast as antagonists in South films.

In a chat with The Lallantop, Suniel said, “I do get offers (from the South), but unfortunately, what happens is, you will notice this trend that we get offers for negative roles. They want to cast the Hindi heroes as powerful… from an antagonistic point of view, (they say) that’s good for the screen and for the audience. And that is one thing that I don’t like.”

“I did a film with Rajini sir, only because I wanted to tick that box of having worked with him,”

he said. Suniel shared, “Recently, I did a small Tuku film just to encourage the film, which is doing really well, it’s called Jai.” Jai saw him in a cameo appearance. “Today, there is no language barrier. If there is a barrier, then it’s perhaps because of the content. If your content is good, it will cross all barriers,” he also said.

Meanwhile, he will soon be seen in Bharat Ke Super Founders. Amazon MX Player has announced Bharat Ke Super Founders, a high-stakes entrepreneurial reality series designed to transform India’s startup storytelling on screen. Streaming for free on Amazon MX Player, the show brings together India’s most promising founders who will pitch to a powerful panel of business leaders backed by an unprecedented ₹100 crore investment commitment.

The series is anchored by Suniel Shetty, who brings experience, calm authority and a deep belief in the entrepreneurial spirit. As host and mentor, he guides founders through high-pressure pitches and real-world business scrutiny. Shetty described the show as a platform that celebrates “the changemakers shaping tomorrow,” adding that he is honoured to support founders whose stories deserve national visibility.

On the film front, Suniel Shetty will also be seen in Hera Pheri 3 and Welcome To The Jungle.