Filmmaker and screenwriter A.R. Shiva Tejas (aka Shiva Tejass) made his debut in Kannada cinema with the hit romantic comedy Male (2015), which starred Prem Kumar and Amulya in the lead roles. This was followed by the action film Dhairyam (2017), which he also penned. The movie, which starred Ajay Rao and Aditi Prabhudeva in main roles, received mixed to positive reviews upon its release, and was a box office success.

In 2018, Shiva helmed the drama film Loudspeaker, which featured Abhishek Jain, Anusha Rodrigues, Kavya Shah and Dattatreya in pivotal roles. His 2020 release includes Shivarjuna, directed by Shiva Tejass.