‘South industry wants Hindi heroes as...I don’t like that,’ says Suniel Shetty

Bollywood veteran Suniel Shetty, one of the industry's most respected and admired stars, has revealed the real reason he seldom accepts acting offers from the South Indian film industry—despite being a proud Mangalorean.

In a candid conversation with The Lallantop, the Balwaan actor shared that he does receive frequent offers from the South, but most of them cast him in negative roles.

“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,” Suniel explained.

He added that many South filmmakers prefer Bollywood stars as villains to amplify the hero’s dominance on screen, something that no longer appeals to him.

Why he said yes to Rajinikanth’s ‘Darbar’

Suniel Shetty clarified that the only South role he accepted in recent years was his villainous part in Rajinikanth’s 2020 hit Darbar—but for a deeply personal reason.

“I did a film with Rajini sir, only because I wanted to tick that box of having worked with him,” he said, calling it a personal milestone.

His cameo in Tulu film ‘Jai’

Despite turning down many South projects, Suniel Shetty emphasised that he remains rooted in his culture. He recently appeared in a cameo role in the Tulu film ‘Jai’ purely to support cinema from Karnataka.

“I did a small Tulu film just to encourage the film. It’s doing really well,” he shared. ‘Jai’ has since become one of the most widely screened Tulu films in recent times.

The actor stressed that for him, the script is always more important than the language or the industry. If the content is strong, he is ready to work anywhere.

Suniel Shetty on ‘Hera Pheri 3’: All three actors are returning

Speaking about his much-discussed sequel Hera Pheri 3, Suniel recently cleared the air surrounding the alleged cast changes.

“All three will be there in the film. If there is any change, it won’t be Hera Pheri 3,” he confirmed, reassuring fans of the iconic trio’s return.

In 2025, Suniel Shetty appeared in ‘Kesari Veer’ and ‘Nadaaniyan’, continuing his strong on-screen presence. Up next, he will be seen in the star-studded comedy-drama ‘Welcome To The Jungle’, directed by Ahmed Khan.