Actor Rishab Shetty recently won the Best Actor award at the 70th National Film Awards. During the press conference held to celebrate the win, the actor highlighted that he is tired of making ‘festival films’ in Kannada that OTT platforms don’t buy for streaming.

Speaking to the media, he said that he has been supporting good content to promote a certain kind of cinema. Shetty said that he cannot make such films anymore. “We premiere at festivals and win awards, but we don’t get any platform for it. OTT platforms don’t buy Kannada content, so we are forced to put it on YouTube channels. I am fed up with this. We don’t get any profit from such films,” he said.

The actor, who received praise from both the masses and critics for ‘Kantara’, said he took the decision after assessing the performance of his films. “There are a few more films in the pipeline – ‘Pedro’ and ‘Vagachipaani’. I produced them because films gave me everything. I wanted to give something back to it. I guess I will see how it performs in the future,” Shetty said.

The actor thanked the audience and the team of ‘Kantara’ for winning the National Award. He said that he only focuses on doing his job, and it is the team effort that makes it even better. “I just do my job, but the credit for ‘Kantara’ winning should go to every team member involved in it. I am just a face, but there were a lot of technicians who gave their best for the film. I want to thank the people on their behalf,” he said.

Shetty expressed his gratitude to the Kannada audience and said that it was because of them that ‘Kantara’ could get all-India status.

Earlier, in a statement released to the media soon after winning the award, the actor thanked God for bestowing such achievements. He said, “I am truly overwhelmed by the honour of this National Award for ‘Kantara’. I express my heartfelt gratitude to everyone who has been a part of this journey, the artistes, technicians, and especially the incredible team of Hombale Films. The audiences have made this film what it is, and their support fills me with a deep sense of responsibility.”

Rishab Shetty is currently working on ‘Kantara 2’, a prequel to his hit 2022 film. Titled ‘Kantara: A Legend Chapter 1’, the film is written and directed by Shetty, and is expected to hit the screens next year.