Suniel Shetty says he did a South film only for Rajinikanth, reveals why he refuses most others

Suniel Shetty has shared a clear reason behind his limited involvement in South cinema. Despite being Mangalorean and receiving several offers, he said he rarely signs South films because Hindi actors are usually brought in to play villains. For him, that pattern has never felt right.

Speaking to The Lallantop, he said, “I do get offers, 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, that’s good for the screen and for the audience. And that is one thing that I don’t like.”

He recalled doing a film with Rajinikanth purely because it had been a long-time wish. “I did a film with Rajini sir, only because I wanted to tick that box of having worked with him,” he said. Suniel also mentioned Jai, a small Tulu film in which he made a cameo appearance to support the team.

He added that language is no longer a limitation. According to him, “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.”

Alongside his film work, Suniel is preparing for Bharat Ke Super Founders, a new entrepreneurial reality series on Amazon MX Player. The show will bring together promising founders pitching to a powerful panel with a ?100 crore investment commitment. Suniel hosts the series, guiding participants through intense rounds that mirror real business pressure. He described the platform as a celebration of “the changemakers shaping tomorrow,” saying he feels honoured to help bring their stories to a national audience.

On the film front, he is set to appear in Hera Pheri 3 and Welcome To The Jungle, two projects that have generated steady buzz. While his return to big Bollywood franchises continues, his views on South cinema underline how selective he is about the roles he chooses.