Raj B. Shetty was born into a Tulu-speaking Bunt family in Bhadravathi, Karnataka. He studied at Bharathi English Medium School in Mangalore and later completed a postgraduate degree in Social Work from Roshni Nilaya, Mangalore. Before entering films, he worked as a radio jockey at Big FM, wrote advertising scripts, and directed short films in Kannada and Tulu. He also assisted actor-director Upendra Rao as a writer and assistant director.
His cinematic journey began with Ondu Motteya Kathe (2017), which he wrote, directed, and starred in. The film became a sleeper hit and earned him the Filmfare Award for Best Kannada Film. His career-defining moment came with Garuda Gamana Vrishabha Vahana (2021), which won him the Filmfare Award for Best Director – Kannada. He has since appeared in films like Ammachi Yemba Nenapu (2018), Mayabazar 2016 (2020), 777 Charlie (2022), and Toby (2023). In 2023, he also directed Swathi Mutthina Male Haniye. His Malayalam debut came with Rudhiram (2023), and he appeared in Turbo (2024).