Raj B Shetty has carved a niche for himself in the Kannada industry with his unique storytelling and distinctive filmmaking style. After the success of Ondu Motteya Kathe, the actor-director followed it up with Garuda Gamana Vrishabha Vahana.
While he has completed shooting for Swati Mutthina Male Haniye, which is currently in the post-production stage, he has also been simultaneously working on another project, titled Toby, which is now gearing up for release.
“The moment we have all been eagerly waiting for has arrived, the ‘Beast’, Make way for Maari! The beast that brought out the best in us! Presenting to you, #TOBY,” wrote Raj as he announced the release date to be August 25. While Raj has written the story, TK Dayanand has written the screenplay. Raj also headlines the project and wielded the megaphone along with Basil Alchalakkal, who makes his directorial debut with this film.
The first look of Toby featured a nose-ring sporting an angry goat. Explaining the underlying theme of the story, Raj, who plays the titular role says, “The tagline ‘Mari Mari Marige Daari’ holds great significance to our film. The poster of Toby represents a goat, which symbolises an animal traditionally offered as a sacrifice to the Gods.
What if the goat itself becomes a Maari? That’s what the attached nose ring signifies. To put it simply, you can push a man to his limits, but when pushed too far, assuming he is meek or weak like a sheep, he will pounce back, and with a strong reaction. The concept of Maari is not limited to any gender; it represents energy that is incredibly powerful.” When asked why he always plays characters based on reality, Raj says, “At one point, we become the judgment we project onto others. This is a personal experience that I went through. The theme was there, and the experience synced.”
Delving into the creative process, Raj says, “I took the issue of my baldness and made Ondu Motteya Kathe. My second film was based on the experience of how the success of my debut changed the power dynamics, which led to making Garuda Gamana Vrishabha Vahana. When I wrote Swati Mutthina Male Haniye, it was inspired by the bond I share with my mother. A writer cannot pen thoughts without drawing from their own experiences. Any revolution is a writer’s inspiration, and that’s how Toby came about.”
Interestingly, Toby distributed by KVN Productions, is a big-budget production, backed by Lighter Buddha Films in association with Agastya Films and Coffee Gang Studios.
While Mithun Mukundan is in charge of the music direction, Praveen Shriyan handles cinematography and editing. The film also stars Samyukta Horanad, Chaitra Achar, Gopalakrishnan Deshpande, and Deepak Raj Shetty.