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Kantara Review: Insanely Entertaining, Propelled By Rishab Shetty's Blindingly Good Star Turn

Kantara review: a heady blend of history, myth, folklore, high drama and stylishly choreographed action neatly wrapped in a form firmly rooted in the cultural milieu it has sprung from..

A still from Kantara trailer. (courtesy: HombaleFilms )

Cast: Rishab Shetty, Kishore, Achyuth Kumar, Sapthami Gowda

Director: Rishab Shetty

Rating: 4 stars (out of 5)

A visually sumptuous, instantly immersive spectacle mounted with extraordinary vim and vigour, writer-director-actor Rishab Shetty's Kannada-language Kantara , now on nationwide release in Hindi and other languages, is a heady blend of history, myth, folklore, high drama and stylishly choreographed action neatly wrapped in a form firmly rooted in the cultural milieu it has sprung from.

Shetty is also the writer and lead actor of the film. As screenwriter, his output is probably just a touch shy of being perfect, but the script has enough heft and vibrancy to translate into a mass entertainer that is visceral, rousing and unwaveringly riveting.

A wide array of things makes Kantara the incredible film that it is, but the most prominent of all are the on-screen performers led admirably well by Shetty. He packs a punch that sends us reeling and continues to reverberate long after the film has run its course.

The film kicks off at scorching pace. The introduction of a divine spirit that watches over the forest and a stirring Kambala buffalo race within the first 15 minutes or so of the film set the tone. Getting accustomed to the sensory overload takes a while. However, once the two-and-a-half-hour film's design - both visual and aural - reveals itself in all its splendour, everything falls into place and draws the audience into the spellbinding Kantara (literally, mystical forest) universe.

The potent drama focuses on the fraught power dynamics, social and divine, that have forever been at play in a coastal Karnataka village where a seemingly benign feudal lord wields unlimited, unquestioned authority over the people. He decides what is good for the villagers. The latter go along.

It isn't servility that underpins the relationship between the master and his serfs. The key is loyalty. It has been built over decades of what feels like benevolence but may not be what it appears to be. Also central to the plot of Kantara is a conflict that arises from threats posed to the rights of forest dwellers over the swathes of land that have been their home for centuries.

In the lead role, Shetty brings dizzying energy to bear upon his performance as the buffalo race champion Shiva, a fiery young rebel with a cause. The young man has to contend with demons of his own mind - recurring nightmares in which he sees visions of the reigning deity in a wrathful avatar drive him to the edge of despair and a constant need to give vent to his rising ire.

His impulsive response to provocations put him on a collision course with the powers that be and his own mother, Kamala (Manasi Sudhir). She frets in vain over his compulsive hunting of wild boars - an act that is linked to the unsettling dreams that repeatedly interrupt his sleep - and violent confrontations with the landlord's henchmen.

The actor-director creates an electrifying larger-than-life figure whose volatile ways shape the frisson that pulses through the film. The young man, perpetually on a short fuse, is foresworn to protecting the village from forces out to rob the indigenous population of access to their ancestral land. Friction between him and government officials erupts because the latter are loath to accept that the forest belongs to the villagers.

Kantara , a film of phenomenal sweep and power, delivers a blindingly brilliant climax and a build-up to it that send the film soaring to the sort heights that only truly great commercial films have ever attained. The cinematography by Arvind S. Kashyap and the musical score by B. Ajneesh Loknath are magnificent. They work in tandem to create an impactful, out of the ordinary movie experience.

As tensions peak in the village and the forest's demigod (ritualistically celebrated in the annual Bhoota Kola ceremony) lurks in the background and is always ready to strike, the nature and dimension of Shiva's fight become clear.

Shiva's biggest foe is an upright deputy forest range officer Muralidhar (Kishore) who will stop at nothing to ensure that the government's writ runs. The landlord Devendra Suttur (Achyuth Kumar), Shiva's master and benefactor, makes common cause with the feisty young man. But are the powerful arbiter's intentions above board?

The opening moments of Kantara provide some broad historical clues. In quick succession, the script details the context of the present conflict. In 1847, the King, at the bidding of the Panjurli (boar) demigod, hands over a large expanses of land to the tribal denizens of the forest and is in return assured of decades of peace and prosperity.

Many generations later, the King's successor, driven by greed and drunk on power, wants all the land to be restored to the royal family. The deity, infuriated at the violation of the long-standing covenant, metes out instantaneous punishment to the offender. In 1990, the year in which Kantara is set, a government officer arrives in the village with a brief to wrest control of the forest land under his charge.

Legends and myths prevalent in the area and beliefs flowing out the forest dwellers' collective memory constitute the narrative crux of the story. The film is marked by a deep sense of the unique ethos of the people it is about.

Shiva, a Bhoota Kola ritual performer, represents a hoary custom but has passed on the mantle to a cousin because he was witness to the disappearance of his father while he was in the guise of the demigod. The loss still haunts Shiva and spurs him on to fight for the protection of his cultural/spiritual moorings.

Shiva is a virile defender of his people and their animistic philosophy, but he isn't the conventional, insuperable Alpha male that films such as KGF, RRR and Pushpa have brought back to the Indian cinema mainstream and made a box-office killing in the bargain. Kantara resists the temptation and is none the worse for it.

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The climactic good-versus-evil confrontation - it isn't an ordinary hero-vanquishes-villain construct, catapults Kantara to an exalted plane. It offsets the one drawback that dilutes the film's a bit. Such is Shiva's halo that the characters around him - his friends and his girlfriend Leela (Sapthami Gowda) - are not quite as vivid as the other technical and narrative elements of the film.

In the light of the sustained overall finesse, anything in this film that is less than totally unblemished will count only as a minor false stroke on an otherwise impeccably realised canvas. Kantara , propelled by Rishab Shetty's blindingly good star turn and impressive directorial skills, is an insanely entertaining film. An absolute must watch.

Rishab Shetty, Kishore, Achyuth Kumar, Sapthami Gowda

Rishab Shetty

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Kantara movie review: Rishab Shetty's mesmeric blend of action and mythology ranks among the best of Indian cinema

Kantara movie review: rishab shetty brings an original tale rooted in indian culture and mythology that surely ranks among the best efforts by an indian filmmaker in recent times..

By the time of the writing of this review, Kantara has earned endorsements from people far more accomplished in the world of cinema, with many more National Awards than this writer can ever hope to win. So I’ll admit I went into the theatre with a preconceived notion about the film, hoping for something good. But Kantara still blew me away. The beautiful amalgamation of action, thrill, faith, and mythology in this powerful film ranks among the best efforts by any Indian filmmaker in recent times. Also read: Kantara becomes highest-rated Indian film on IMDb, Dhanush calls it 'a must-watch'

A lot has been said about how Indian cinema is losing touch with its roots and not finding original stories from the heartland. This land, being so diverse and vast, is a treasure trove of stories. Kantara shows just what is possible when a good storyteller decides to tell an original tale rooted in the land and its culture, while bringing with himself the expertise and technical finesse of good filmmaking. At the heart of it, Kantara is the age-old story of man vs nature, of villagers vs zamindars, and the thirst for land and money. But it is so much more as it weaves elements from coastal Karnataka’s culture and mythology in the story so seamlessly and fluidly.

The story is set around a village in south Karnataka where a king had given that land to the villagers 150 years ago. In 1990, when the story is set, an upright forest officer (played by a brilliant Kishore) is trying to curb tree felling and hunting in that land, which is now a reserve forest. To complicate matters, the villagers believe that the land was given to them as a boon from their Daiva--the demigod protector of the forest, and are hence in no mood to listen to this outsider. Leading the charge against this is the village strongman Shiva (Rishab Shetty), and he is supported by the king’s descendant, the village’s sahib (Achyuth Kumar).

It is hard to pinpoint the one thing that makes Kantara tick. Let’s start with the script. It takes a story seen very often in our daily lives and introduces some unique local flavour, rooting it to Indian culture, making it stand out from among other such tales. Then comes the real cherry on top of this beautiful cake- the breathtakingly beautiful cinematography of Arvind Kashyap. The way Arvind’s lens has brought alive the folklore of Kantara is a lesson for storytellers. Some of the scenes of the buffalo racing in the beginning of the film deserve special praise, as do all the scenes from the festivities and visuals of the Daiva.

The background score and music from Ajaneesh Loknath complements the camera work totally. The choice to use western instruments in some scenes depicting Indian festivities was a bold one and it pays off quite well. The score brings out the myths, culture, and feel of the land where Kantara is set, taking you into the heart of the story so easily that you forget you are sitting in a movie theatre in another part of the country.

Rishab Shetty as Shiva delivers a powerful performance as this unstoppable force, who will go to any lengths to protect his village and his people. His beautifully-choreographed and slick action sequences would be at home even in the best of Hollywood films. Kishore is on the other spectrum as the calm, simmering forest officer Muralidhar, at loggerheads with Shiva. The actor brings so much intensity into his scenes that it’s a treat to watch.

This review would be incomplete without the mention of how colourfully and glamorously the film portrays the local festivities and rituals. The colours are vivid, the sounds melodic, and the portrayal powerful. All the scenes involving the Daiva are compelling, and some even hair-raising. That guttural scream from the Daiva gives you goosebumps on more than one occasion. Without spoiling anything, I can just say that the climax, while being a completely masala Indian film offering, elevates the film to another level.

Like Sohum Shah’s Tumbbad some four years ago, Kantara is proof that the earthy, rooted folk tales from India have the power to be turned into compelling cinema. Kantara, in fact, takes Tumbbad’s legacy even forward. Despite being appreciated by everyone who watched it. Tumbbad made only ₹ 13 crore at the box office. Kantara, meanwhile, is hurtling towards the 100-crore mark. It is an important film because it’s success will determine if other filmmakers across India will dare to tell original stories.

Director: Rishab Shetty

Cast: Rishab Shetty, Kishore, Achyuth Kumar, Sapthami Gowda, Pramod Shetty, and Manasi Sudhir.

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'Kantara' movie review: Rishab Shetty delivers a compelling and rooted film

Conflicts between man and nature have always provided enough fodder for our filmmakers to dole out one film after the other. Rishab Shetty’s Kantara, though dealing with the same concept, strives to be original and wins at it by staying rooted and realistic.

Even in his previous films, Ricky and Sa.Hi.Pra Shaale, Rishab expressed his flair for telling stories of the coastal belt of Karnataka. With Kantara, he further goes deep into the woods to talk about safeguarding forests even while delivering a compelling revenge-action drama with a blend of crime and divinity.

Kantara is set in a fictional village of Dakshina Kannada, and begins in the 18th century when a king exchanges a piece of land with his people and moves on to find peace and happiness. Centuries later, the same land becomes a threat to the tribals of that area., but they believe their demigods, doubling up as their guardians, protect the village. The story shifts to the 90s, and we see the face-off between villagers who dwell in the forests, and the forest officer who wants to clear any encroachment in the area.

Shiva (Rishab Shetty) lives a carefree life with his friends, and is often at loggerheads with forest officer Murali (Kishore), who just wants to uphold the law of the land. We also have a politician Devendra Suttur (Achyuth Kumar), whose misdeeds become his identity. But there is a bigger evil at work, and Kantara is about Shiva’s struggle to bring justice to the people of the village.

The film ends with an outstanding climax, which is definitely the USP of Kantara. There are multiple viewpoints in Kantara, and it is all wonderfully brought together by Rishab, who has written and directed the film too.

Rishab is only getting better with each film, and the backing of Hombale Films has allowed the filmmaker to make the movie more realistic. Even though it runs on the familiar territory of human-nature conflict, the chapters of Bhoota kola and Kambala make it unique. Every frame of the film is beautiful. DOP Aravind Kashyap lights up Kantara in vivid shades, and with able support from art director Dharani Gange Putra, gives Kantara a rather natural look.

Kantara also explores some serious issues like caste discrimination. While there is no separate comedy track, there are enough quirks in some of the characters to add to the fun quotient. The film brings in crisp narration, and extra credit should be given to the well-orchestrated action sequences.

Composer Ajaneesh Loknath is marvellous in Kantara. While his folk melodies are soothing, the background score accentuates the narrative of Kantara.

Rishab, the actor, is outstanding as Shiva, and breathes life into this rather unconventional character. He has undergone a mass and intense transformation for the role, and the effects are evident. Rishab’s performance in the nail-biting climax will definitely make the audience cheer and applaud for him. Sapthami Gowda as forest guard Leela, who is also Shiva’s love interest, delivers a decent performance in Kantara. Kishore and Achyuth too give powerful performances, and it is a joy to watch the former’s intense ego clashes with Shiva. Manasi Sudhir, Pramod Shetty and Prakash Thuminad too are decent with their acts.

With Kantara, Rishab once again creates magic, both as a director and an actor, and delivers an entertainer with a strong social message, and an even stronger final act.

Director : Rishab Shetty

Cast : Rishab Shetty, Sapthami Gowda, Kishore, Achyuth Kumar

Ratings : 4 out of 5 stars

(This story originally appeared on Cinema Express )

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Kantara movie review: A vibrant and mythical tale with just the right drama

Kantara is an important story that is portrayed stunningly with the help of folklore, and art that is native to the Kundapura area. Rishab Shetty has performed stunningly in an affecting film.

Language: Kannada

Cast: Rishab Shetty, Kishore Kumar and Sapthami Gowda

Director: Rishab Shetty

Star rating: 3.5/5

Hombale Films, the production house that bankrolled KGF films is back with a dynamic film called Kantara . It is a rooted, it is vibrant and it is performed so stunningly, that there are moments that leave you in goose bumps. The most important characteristic of this film — despite its flaws — is how it chooses to encapsulate the fight of the tribal community for their land. This is an issue that persists in India today, but filmmaker and lead actor in the film — Rishab Shetty —  has set the story mainly in the 1990s. The film does span three timelines, going back to 1890. It all begins like a fairy tale, and speaks of Kings and their lives.

One such, who had everything, including the blessings of his people continually felt empty within, and he sets upon a soul searching journey that leads him to the village that the film is set in. His journey ends with him surrendering his weapon and himself to the local deity, who guards the tribal community. He attains the peace that he had been in search of all this while in the presence of this goddess and he seeks the community’s permission to take her back to the palace.

This moment is indicative of how the royal families in the 1890s appropriated the tribal gods, but left the people behind. They went on to oppress these people, continued to enslave them and forced them to stay illiterate purely out of hunger for more power and greed. Caste system was upheld strongly, and the hegemony continued to stay strong for decades still.

However, the community in the film has a guardian angel, and that is their deity. She seeks a promise from the King, in return for his favour, She orders for the surrounding land — forest and all — be bequeathed to the people of the community. She also warns the king that if any of his future generations were to back away from this promise, they would face and unfortunate end. This is where the film gets a brilliant mythical tone. This deity that everyone believes in strongly keeps the community for decades. The film flashes forward to 1970.

This time period reiterates how people in positions of power abuse it. It portrays one of the King’s descendants lusts after the many acres of land. The value of the land has grown manifold in the years since, and all this man can see is money. He takes part in a popular local procession of the community that celebrates their deity. He sees a performance of Bhoota Kola (an animist form of spirit worship that is native to the costal districts of Tulunadu and some parts of Malenadu in Karnataka and Kasargod in Kerala). One wrong move by this descendent leads to his death. Yet, it also leads to the disappearance of the performer. It is his son — Shiva (Rishab Shetty) who inherits the talent for Bhoota Kola. However, after having witnessed his father’s disappearance first hand, he decides not take up Bhoota Kola, and instead begins to work for the dead descendant’s son who goes by “Landlord” in the film.

Shiva is the one who must deal with greed for money and for power in the present. How he grows up from a naive thug on hire for the Landlord, to a responsible adult who stands with his people is well-etched out and entertaining. The region that the story is set in, the people that Rishab has penned about in the film — its all his home ground. He developed the story of Kantara during the pandemic lockdown when he was home, after hearing the story of a performer from his son. So Kantara is as rooted as it can get. Especially, the sequences featuring Bhoota Kola are so stunningly shot by Arvind Kashyap that it induces goosebumps multiple times.

The music of Kantara is also a star of the film that not only supports the narrative but elevates it as well. The inspiration from local folklore of Karnataka, the local artists that were spoken to, and the ones who were also featured in the film add authenticity to the endeavour of adapting a folklore. It is a simple tale about a community reclaiming the lands that were originally theirs, owed to them by a man who bartered with them. It would have come across as uninspired, if not for the introduction of Bhoota Kola, and the myths that surround spirit worshipping.

Above all of this, what really takes the prize is Rishab’s acting. This is something that the director-actor’s friends had hyped up before the release of the film. However, the hype is real. The last 40 minutes of the film is where Rishab has truly outdone himself, and every moment is gravitating. There is no way you could stray away from the screen, not even momentarily.

There is but one complaint that I have of this film and it is the way Shiva woos Leela. It is understandable that the film is set in 90s, but pinching the waist, or using certain situations to touch her left me cringing in my seat. Leela’s character is not really one-note, either. Her struggles are interesting, but she never get the time to unpack it on screen. This is one of the few characters that truly needed more attention, failing which the film has fallen prey to the syndrome of portraying a female character as nothing but an attractive lamppost.

Overall though, this is film that one must watch just to understand the dynamics of a life lived in interior parts of Karnataka. There is Kambala, and Bhoota Kola, and then there is the story itself that rings true which is captured with stunning visuals. All of this, makes for a film that is definitely worth your time!

Priyanka Sundar is a film journalist who covers films and series of different languages with special focus on identity and gender politics.

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Kantara Movie Review: Rishab Shetty offers a brilliant experience that should not be missed in theatres

Rishab shetty's kantara is a tale about folklore, the importance of land and the beliefs of people. the film offers an immersive experience that warrants a theatre watch, says our review..

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• Kantara hit the theatres in Kannada on September 30.
• The film is written, directed and acted by Rishab Shetty.
• The dubbed version of Kantara will release across the globe on October 14.

Release Date: 30 Sep, 2022

When folk tales are represented on screen, rooted in realism, it ends up being an experience in itself. Kantara is one such film that sucks you in right from the get-go and makes you guess what‘s next. The traditional Daivaradhane and Bhoota Kola legacy (traditional dance forms) are brought to life in a two-and-a-half-hour-long film.

Kantara begins in the 18th century with a king giving a piece of land to the villagers in exchange for peace and joy. Cut to several decades later, the king’s descendant arrives at a Bhoota Kola (traditional dance in honour of the local deities) and threatens the tribals to return the land. However, he dies a tragic death.

20 years later, forest officer Murali (Kishore) wants to put an end to the superstitious rituals and save the forest from the villagers. Shiva (Rishab Shetty), a hot-headed henchman, stands up for the entire village. Meanwhile, Leela (Sapthami Gowda) is appointed as a forest guard, but she is torn between her work and her ideals. Will she take a stand? Is Murali the real villain? What does landlord Devendra Suttur (Achyuth Kumar) have in mind when he helps the villagers?

Apart from writing and directing the film, Rishab Shetty has also played the lead role in Kantara, and as an audience, it presents you with the opportunity to discover his talent as a screenplay writer, director and actor. Kantara starts off on a promising note and the way Rishab establishes the characters is what stands out in the crowd. Murali and Shiva are at loggerheads with each other and their rivalry keeps us hooked, expecting a massive showdown. And the film doesn’t disappoint. It keeps you guessing and leaves you wanting more of what’s unfolding on screen.

The story focuses on Shiva and Murali intentionally only to spring a surprise when we get to know the intentions of Devendra Suttur. This brilliant ploy worked so well even though it was predictable. The film was full of excellent performances from the cast of Kantara. Be it Rishab Shetty or Kishore or Sapthami Gowda or Achyuth Kumar, they have delivered exceptional performances. Not to forget the supporting actors, who provide comic relief and emotional undertones throughout the film.

The pre-climax and the climax act of Kantara, featuring a brilliant Rishab Shetty, are a collection of spine-chilling sequences that gives one goosebump. And a recurring scream, which is haunting, adds another layer to the rooted film. Our only grouse with the film is that it’s quite predictable. But, the success of Kantara lies in its milieu and world-building.

Kantara’s cinematography by Arvind S Kashyap is exceptional. The framing and the lighting add value to the period film. So does Ajaneesh Loknath’s explosive music. Another major asset of Kantara is its sound design.

Kantara is yet another gem of a film from Kannada cinema that will take one’s breath away in terms of storytelling and visuals.

3.5 out of 5 for Kantara. Published By: K Janani Published On: Oct 12, 2022 --- ENDS --- ALSO READ | Kannada film Kantara starring Rishab Shetty is making waves in theatres. Story, cast and all you need to know

Kantara Movie Review: Rishab Shetty delivers a compelling and rooted film

Rating: ( 4 / 5).

Conflicts between man and nature have always provided enough fodder for our filmmakers to dole out one film after the other. Rishab Shetty’s Kantara , though dealing with the same concept, strives to be original and wins at it by staying rooted and realistic. Even in his previous films, Ricky and Sa.Hi.Pra Shaale , Rishab expressed his flair for telling stories of the coastal belt of Karnataka. With Kantara , he further goes deep into the woods to talk about safeguarding forests even while delivering a compelling revenge-action drama with a blend of crime and divinity.

Kantara is set in a fictional village of Dakshina Kannada, and begins in the 18th century when a king exchanges a piece of land with his people and moves on to find peace and happiness. Centuries later, the same land becomes a threat to the tribals of that area., but they believe their demigods, doubling up as their guardians, protect the village. The story shifts to the 90s, and we see the face-off between villagers who dwell in the forests, and the forest officer who wants to clear any encroachment in the area.

Director: Rishab Shetty

Cast: Rishab Shetty, Sapthami Gowda, Kishore, Achyuth Kumar

Shiva (Rishab Shetty) lives a carefree life with his friends, and is often at loggerheads with forest officer Murali (Kishore), who just wants to uphold the law of the land. We also have a politician Devendra Suttur (Achyuth Kumar), whose misdeeds become his identity. But there is a bigger evil at work, and Kantara is about Shiva’s struggle to bring justice to the people of the village. The film ends with an outstanding climax, which is definitely the USP of Kantara . There are multiple viewpoints in Kantara , and it is all wonderfully brought together by Rishab, who has written and directed the film too.

Rishab is only getting better with each film, and the backing of Hombale Films has allowed the filmmaker to make the movie more realistic. Even though it runs on the familiar territory of human-nature conflict, the chapters of Bhoota kola and Kambala make it unique. Every frame of the film is beautiful. DOP Aravind Kashyap lights up Kantara in vivid shades, and with able support from art director Dharani Gange Putra, gives Kantara a rather natural look.

Kantara also explores some serious issues like caste discrimination. While there is no separate comedy track, there are enough quirks in some of the characters to add to the fun quotient. The film brings in crisp narration, and extra credit should be given to the well-orchestrated action sequences. Composer Ajaneesh Loknath is marvellous in Kantara . While his folk melodies are soothing, the background score accentuates the narrative of Kantara .

Rishab, the actor, is outstanding as Shiva, and breathes life into this rather unconventional character. He has undergone a mass and intense transformation for the role, and the effects are evident. Rishab’s performance in the nail-biting climax will definitely make the audience cheer and applaud for him. Sapthami Gowda as forest guard Leela, who is also Shiva’s love interest, delivers a decent performance in Kantara . Kishore and Achyuth too give powerful performances, and it is a joy to watch the former’s intense ego clashes with Shiva. Manasi Sudhir, Pramod Shetty and Prakash Thuminad too are decent with their acts.

With Kantara , Rishab once again creates magic, both as a director and an actor, and delivers an entertainer with a strong social message, and an even stronger final act.  

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Kantara Review: Lavishly Shot Folklore Story

Movie: Kantara Rating: 3/5 Banner: Hombale Films Cast: Rishab Shetty, Kishore, Achyuth Kumar, Sapthami Gowda and others Music: Ajaneesh Loknath Director of Photography: Arvind S. Kashyap Editor: K. M. Prakash, Pratheek Shetty Producer: Vijay Kiragandur Written and directed by: Rishab Shetty Release Date: Oct 15, 2022

After setting the box office on fire in Karnataka, the latest Kannada hit ‘Kantara’ got dubbed into Telugu and hit the screens today.

Let’s find out what the hype is all about.

Story: A king in the 1800s gave his forest land to the local tribe's people. In the 1970s, one of the king’s successors tried to claim the lands as his. When he moves to court to claim the land, he dies on the steps of the court.

In 1990, a forest officer Murali (Kishore) lays restrictions on the forest dwellers saying the government land cannot be touched. The local youth Shiva (Rishab Shetty) challenges Murali. 

Shiva is also a loyal henchman to the local feudal lord Devendra (Achyuth Kumar). Wrongly assuming that Murali tries to usurp their community from the forests, Shiva goes against him. Shiva’s father was a Kola ritual performer, in their forests and his cousin Guruva practices the same. 

When Guruva was killed brutally, Shiva gets to know reality. The rest of the drama is about vengeance. 

Artistes’ Performances: Kannada actor Rishab Shetty suits well to the character of a 90’s rustic youngster. His brilliant performance comes out in the penultimate sequences. His acting is simply superb in the last 25 minutes. 

Kishore as forest officer does excellently. Achyuth Kumar as the feudal lord gives a terrific performance. Sapthami Gowda as the female lead is okay. 

Technical Excellence: The film has technical brilliance. The cinematography is top-notch. Set in a deep forest, the filming of Kolam sequences and the buffalo race are mesmerizing.

Music director Ajaneesh’s background score and the cameraman’s brilliant shots have created a terrific mood. They steal the show. The film has a slow pace.

Highlights: Climax sequences Cinematography and background music Rishab’s final performance

Drawback: Middle portion Cliched jokes

Analysis To get a grip on the latest Kannada blockbuster “Kantara”, we also need to know the customs, folk culture, and the land of Dakshina Karnataka (Mangalore area). The western ghat region of Karnataka is home to deep forests and unique culture. Bhoota Kola is a ritual, where a man performs with all the colorful makeup and finally delivers a speech. People believe that the speech is God's word. This myth or legend exists in this region. Some families follow the customs.

The hero of “Kantara” belongs to the Bhoota Kola family. The film begins with a King’s story in 1847 and then cuts to 1970 when the hero’s father performs Kolam and mysteriously disappears into forests. In 1990, when the story is set, the hero is haunted by dreams. He sees god coming in Varaha roopam. It is his guilt as he hunts pigs in the forest. 

So, there is a hero, whose father was Bhoota Kola, and one who sees God in dreams. And the hero is working for a feudal lord, who acts as their protector. Then the main conflict is about the encroachment of the forests and lands. Director Rishab Shetty has added elements of myth, folklore, and local traditions to tell the story. We need to take all these into account to understand this film. 

Simply, the film is a regular masala film of a brother taking revenge on the feudal lord who kills his cousin. There are clichéd sequences. The love story between the hero and heroine is dull. It lacks any novelty. The villain is in plain sight. The villain’s (played by Achyuth Kumar of ‘KGF’) role is also quite clichéd. 

The comedy scenes and drinking sequences are quite boring as well. But despite these issues, many elements have made the film unique and immersive. 

Much of the film delves into the hero’s hunting habits, his romantic episodes, his camaraderie with local friends, and their village issues. But when the hero’s cousin gets killed, the film takes an entirely different route and it turns into a thrilling ride. The final 20 minutes of this film provide a riveting experience. Acting, taking, music, and sound design have synced well in this episode. Thus, ‘Kantara’ becomes a riveting film.

‘Kantara’ means deep forest. For Telugu audiences, the middle portions and some comedy sequences don’t work but the film’s strength lies in the climax episode and technical aspects.  On a whole this film takes the audience into a different world with its amazing background and sound effects. This is for those who want to experience an out of the box experience.  

Bottom line: A different experience

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Kantara review: Rishab Shetty’s film is vivid, powerful and just pure fun

Rishab Shetty’s Kantara is a meta tale of folk legends. On one side, the film relies heavily on the mystique of centuries-old folklore and traditions like Bhootha Kola and presents a microcosmic world that is deeply rooted in this. And simultaneously, the same mystical energy allows for the hero of the film to pave a rite of passage for himself and transcend into a living myth in front of his own people. Where Rishab Shetty succeeds the most is in presenting his self-referential tale in the garb of a masala film that is not only entertaining but also uncannily original.

Rishab also plays the hero Shiva, a valiant but hot-headed Kambala champion who is also the living embodiment of the abandon of his village. The people around him are a unique blend of pious and unabashed – the men chug down arrack as if it were Gatorade, the women chastise their men constantly as they plate up fish fry, and yet, the tradition of the place unites them all. But the hero of the film is still an uninspired man who has nightmares of running into a Bhootha Kola artist (typically dressed in the Yakshagana attire) in the depths of the surrounding forest. At first glance, this is a simple manifestation of the trauma of watching his father, a Bhootha Kola performer, disappearing into the forest and never returning. Or, if you looked closely, could those nightmares mean epiphanies for Shiva who, despite all the fear, somehow finds himself night-after-night in the same forest on casual hunting expeditions? Who knows, maybe there is a divine intervention waiting for him.

But for Rishab, the journey to that point of ultimate catharsis is through that of a bona fide masala entertainer. He starts off the story in the 19 th century to set a beguiling premise of how a wandering, unhappy king encounters a sacred stone and gives away a large mass of land to the people living nearby. Cut to about 100 years later and the land has grown into a village, still caught in the clutches of ancestry but also ambitious and self-serving in its way of living, much to the dismay of the new Range Forest Officer Murali (Kishore). RFO Murali is honest, determined but can also be a grump who disses the village traditions by referring to them as shoki or fanciful afflictions, threatening to trample on the celebrations for as long as he is around. So, when Murali’s stubbornness encounters Shiva’s bravado, it’s a clash of epic proportions and we feel we are nudged towards an ultra-masculine, egotistic faceoff that is similar to the one in the 2020 Malayalam film Ayyapanum Koshiyum . But Rishab subverts again and seems to tell us with a wink: “Well, that’s not really what I’m trying to do.”

Rishab intentionally underplays the Shiva-Murali saga and directs the narrative towards the third most important character of the plot, Achyuth Kumar’s Devendra Suttur. Suttur is the local landlord and a congenial well-wisher of the village (and of Shiva, in particular), but it doesn’t take much to guess that there’s more to him than meets the eye (we are even told that he is heir to the land that the king “gave away” many moons ago). Where Rishab the writer infuses nuance is with this character. He presents the landlord all along as the sly enabler of Shiva & gang, makes subtle suggestions that he can’t be trusted, and yet doesn’t fully reveal the dark side until the opportune moment. Instead, Rishab builds the world of Kantara with everyday mundanities – Shiva’s squabbles with his mother, run-ins with the law, his romance with the village forest guard Leela (a delightful Sapthami Gowda) – and gradually mounts Murali as the chief antagonist of the story.

It’s an effective ploy because even though we see Suttur as the bigger potential threat, we realise that idea is to close in the walls on Shiva and unleash the Bhootha lurking in him. The template of using not one but two nemeses is nothing new but it’s the staging that does the trick. And just as we anticipate or even settle for a cliched ending, Rishab pulls his final trick on us to deliver a most outstanding and glorious climax sequence.

Rishab Shetty, the actor, is particularly effective in the film and that’s because he is fully aware of the pitch and tone of his performance. He looks the right shape and size for a Kambala sportsman and exudes a fine balance of naivety and arrogance when it comes to the ‘manly’ side of his personality. Consider the scene when RFO Murali tries to pull the plug on the annual Kola celebrations. It’s the classic clash of one-upmanship, of two distinct but similar personalities coming face-to-face for the first time, and yet, the entire scene is played out verbally despite Murali carrying an official gun and Shiva having the entire village behind him for physical support. Shiva is drunk in the scene and so is Murali, but it’s the former who exercises control (and even does a quick sniff-check for alcohol) because he knows that it’s his land. It’s a scene that’s staged perfectly by the writer, performed brilliantly by the actors and shot superbly by Arvind S Kashyap, who never cuts into the crowd for reaction shots but keeps everything at a distance to let the chaos simmer underneath and not blow up just yet.

Arvind’s cinematography is quite easily one of the main highlights of the film for it not only maintains that distant-yet-unique gaze on the characters but also captures Shiva’s rage with an astute eye. The Bhootha Kola sequences, in particular, are exquisite both with respect to the aesthetic and the subliminal energy they carry.

But that said, the writing falters a bit in this mega balancing act. While we see the village and the people playing a huge part in the conflict, their individual stories and problems are never made fully relevant to the story. This isn’t a concern of lack of information but rather of empathy, and although the underlying purpose of the film is to make Shiva realise his true potential, the outward issue of land grabbing and deceit does not really become a major concern for us. The attempt to make Murali a more relatable-yet-formidable opponent too comes across as diluted because the script doesn’t elevate the tension between him and Shiva: instead, we see repetitive scenes dished out about their ideological differences. For a film that’s so driven by conflicts of myriad kinds, the lack of anything substantial can be a little underwhelming and this can only be attributed to the slight half-baked approach in writing.

These concerns, however, are completely negligible because director Rishab is in no mood to let the energy drop. The drama unfolds relentlessly (thanks to the editing of KM Prakash and Pratheek Shetty) and Rishab combines the force of all his top technicians to put together a film that pulsates on its own rhythm and beat, never letting its inherent commercial trappings come in the way. And the film has a literal beat too which comes from B Ajaneesh Loknath’s eclectic and empowering musical score that ranges from mellifluous 1990s tunes like ‘Singara Siriye’ to the fitting operatic rock anthem for the climax portions. Ajaneesh lends the percussive edge to the film which, in a way, becomes a fly-on-the-wall-like character of the film that embellishes all the key moments with a blend of humour and objectivity.

Kantara is a Rishab Shetty show by all means but that doesn’t come without the support of all the key players. This is new-age storytelling in Kannada cinema that’s constantly peaking, mainly because the filmmakers are not shying away from showing their mainstream inclinations. Kantara is embedded firmly in the heartland and it utilises every bit of the local milieu to paint this vivid portrait of folklore and tradition but also the people associated with it. It’s a film intended for pure mass entertainment but made with all the heart.

Disclaimer: This review was not paid for or commissioned by anyone associated with the film. Neither TNM nor any of its reviewers have any sort of business relationship with the film's producers or any other members of its cast and crew.

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'Kantara' review: Rishab shines in a technical marvel

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Kantara Kannada (Theatres) Director: Rishab Shetty Cast: Rishab Shetty, Kishore, Achyuth Kumar, Sapthami Gowda Rating: 3.5/5

Something is alluring about movies that tell tales of rural hinterlands. The rustic charm of people and their strong belief in folklore and traditions offer a curious pleasure to those caught in the grind of city life.

In ‘Kantara’, director Rishab Shetty introduces this world to us in a terrific opening stretch that shows how the King in a village amidst a forest in Kundapura donates various areas of his land to the villagers for a ‘special’ stone. The event happens under the instruction of ‘deiva’, the demigod that guards the village.

From the 1870s, the plot shift to the 1990s, where we see a rebellious Shiva (Rishab) taking on a forest officer (Kishore), who is upset with the shrinking space between man and nature. Amidst this, there is also a landlord (Achyuth Kumar) who seems to support the locals when government intervention spells trouble for the village.

The visual style of ‘Kantara’ reminds you of the uncontrolled chaos in Lijo Jose Pellissery’s films. It’s amazing how Rishab, like the Malayalam filmmaker, takes less time to establish the setting. ‘Kantara’ also attempts to expose the uncomfortable truths of the human mind, a concept explored to greater extents ‘Angamaly Diaries’ (2017) and ‘Jallikattu’ (2019).

Episodes that celebrate the spirit of coastal Karnataka offer an immersive experience. If you thought we have seen enough specificities of the region in previous films ('Ulidavaru Kandante', 'Sarkari Hiriya Prathamika Shaale', 'Garuda Gamana Vrishabha Vahana'), then you will be proved wrong. Right from food to dialect to sacred customs to a host of quirky characters (Prakash Thuminad takes the cake as a horny man), 'Kantara' is an engaging cultural tour.

The efforts of Ajaneesh Lokanath and Aravind Kashyap make ‘Kantara’ a technical marvel. There is a constant shift in mood in the film and Ajaneesh’s background score, at every turn of the plot, is dipped in authenticity. The use of different sounds complements the film’s folk flavour.

Aravind goes beyond just celebrating the scenic landscape of the Western Ghat region. He supports the movie’s dark tonality. His camerawork is marked by an adventurous energy, especially in the racy and explosive portions.

Apart from being technically rich, ‘Kantara’ is a film filled with terrific conflicts. Yet, it keeps you at an arm’s length as far as emotions are concerned. The director in Rishab succeeds in exuding unconventionality on screen but the writer in him fails to construct solid character arcs.

For instance, it’s a great idea to make a woman (Saptami Gowda in a weak performance) from the community work for the forest department, which the villagers detest. But Rishab doesn’t flesh out the character’s full potential, just like he keeps the forest officer’s balancing of personal and professional conflict at a generic level. This hampers a usually-reliable Kishore’s performance as he is forced to remain one-note.

Similarly, the landlord's vested intentions are revealed without any build-up but given how brilliant Achyuth is, the character’s sudden switch in the trait is made invisible by his effortless transformation.

Having shared the screen with gifted actors, it has taken a career-best effort from Rishab to emerge the best. His internal preparation and the hard work to perfect the external makeover for the stylised bhoota khola performance are commendable. He gets into a different zone in the jaw-dropping climax, which comes after an ambitious yet exhaustive action sequence. Rishab’s stunning act in the final 15 minutes is sure to be discussed for a long time.

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Kantara Review: Rishab Shetty Leaves You With An Experience To Cherish

Director: Rishab Shetty

Cast: Rishab Shetty, Kishore Kumar G, Achyuth Kumar

It is difficult to write a review of the Kannada film Kantara , starring Rishab Shetty, Achyuth Kumar and Kishore Kumar, among others, because an experience can only be gone through, never explained. From the trailer, it was evident that among the choreographed set pieces would be actor-director Rishab Shetty performing the Bhoota Kola and taking part in the Kambala, where he competes with other youth, running with buffaloes in a slushy field.

Both these are riveting and are wrapped up in the first half hour of the film. But, you understand why writer-director Rishab does that, defying the norm, because he has more aces up his sleeve.

Kantara (translates into mysterious forest) is where the film is set. Villagers live around the forest, living off minor forest produce. A hotshot forest officer newly posted there (a fabulous Kishore doing what he does best, be the character) seeks to redraw boundaries and reclaim illegal, unauthorised encroachments. His intentions are in the right place, but his methods lack finesse. The village head of sorts Dhani (Can Achyuth Kumar do anything wrong?) seems to bat for the villagers though his father was not as generous. He seems liberal, but his caste pride raises its ugly head quite often. After a point, everyone seems clothed in shades of grey.

Kaadubettu Shiva (Rishab has given this role his all) is the son of a man who performs the bhoota kola and who grows up moving farther and farther away from his heritage. It is left to his cousin to carry on the family tradition of Bhoota Kola. He’s the village ruffian, picking up quarrels, drinking himself silly and loving Leela (a radiant Sapthami Gowda, who is such a natural) in the way he can. But, he’s also the grown up terrified of his mother, and the one who does not hesitate rushing in to sleep next to her when nightmares plague him. After all, this is a boy who went in with a torch searching for someone in the jungle and returned empty handed. Shiva has many demons in his head, and eventually, his salvation comes only after he learns to read what the apparitions tell him.

But is Kantara just about the story of its characters? Is it about the struggle for land? Is it about a generous ancestor who gave up vast wealth but whose kindness and ability to keep a promise did not percolate down generations? Is it about the plight of those who dwell near a forest that is scheduled to be declared a reserve forest? Is it about the terrible power politics that makes people change colour, like a chameleon? Or, is it about that rare precious thing called faith, and how destiny finds a way to fulfil itself? Actually, Kantara is all of the above, and if I had a grudge with the film, it is that it takes on too much when it does not really have to. It would have worked fine with a strand or two less.

The writing is solid, and the cusswords-rich, sarcasm-and-humour-laced dialogues of the region have surprisingly made it to the final version. The women are well-etched too. Leela has an arc, she’s the local girl the village pins its hopes on, but she joins the forest department and has to redraw the lines after the land survey on her very first day at work. She also loves Shiva, and asks aloud why she’s being treated badly for doing her job. Shiva’s mother Kamala is the firebrand, the frail single woman who has raised a son and who wonders what will become of him. She’s the most foul-mouthed of the lot, and everyone’s terrified of her.

Many tend to assume villages are not passion hotspots and that sexual escapades and furtive love are restricted to the cities. This film breaks all of that, and how. There’s so much physicality in the way the characters see each other. A torch is used as a signal for an illicit union in a farm, the bushes sometimes reveal a couple or two. And, everyone is ready to run at the slightest disturbance.

The last 15 minutes of the movie feature a fabulously choreographed and shot sequence, where Rishab seems to have been in a trance of his own. Actor, writer and director Raj B Shetty, who coincidentally played Shiva in the last film he and Rishab collaborated on, Garuda Gamana Vrushaba Vahana), choreographed the Bhoota Kola sequences. Kannada cinema can be incredibly proud of both the Pili Vesha in Ulidavaru Kandanthe (2014) and Garuda Gamana and the Bhoota Kola in this film — both have been recreated on screen by those with roots in the region, and so you don’t see it as just a geography marker or for a pop of colour, but as the devotion at its core. Something similar happens to the Bhoota Kola here. And, like the forest official who does not believe, but ultimately sees the kola for what it is, fear and awe for the external form and love for what is within soon switch places.

For me, the film is about how a man eventually accepts his destiny, and how his heart expands to love those who he previously loathed, including the forest officer. And how, one day, his heart and mind are full, and he knows he has fulfilled his destiny. The last five minutes are incredibly moving. The long-lost father and son dance, smiling, and surrender themselves to the forest to whom they worship.

Among the biggest pluses in the film is Arvind S Kashyap’s cinematography. At times, the camera snakes into the narrow huts that make up many people's homes, at others, it lords over the vast greenery, owning it. The same can be said about music by Ajaneesh Loknath (esp 'Singara Siriye' among the songs and the throbbing background score), which is evocative, moving and rousing all at once.

Watch Kantara in theatres, because this is a film made for the theatre. The film is as Kannada as it can get and is among the handful of movies that is all heart. So much hard work has gone into making this film, and it shows on screen. And, if more such movies are to be made, rooted in a region’s culture, without exotisising it, the audience must mark its presence.

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Kantara Movie Review (2022)

Rishab shetty's 'kantara' is a solid masala-myth that, despite its issues, finds new ways to tell an old story about ‘the chosen one’.

Kantara Movie Cast & Crew

Rishab Shetty writes, directs, and delivers a joyous and very exuberant performance as Shiva, the protagonist of Kantara – but he's absent from the opening stretch that is set in the nineteenth century. We hear a tale about a king who had everything. He had the love of his family. He had the love of his subjects. What he did not have was peace of mind. There's a second time period, in the mid-1970s, and a third, in 1990. The screenplay uses many devices to tie the past and the present – or rather, to bring the past to the present and show how the two are always intertwined. There's the sound of anklets heard in a forest. There's a near-mythical sword passed on from the days of the king to the days we find Shiva in. There's the reference to Vishnu's third incarnation, Varaha Avatar, where the god became a boar.

And the most important past-present connection is a fearsome scream, which is also a metaphor for the cry of anguish of the landless. We hear this cry in the present-day Bhoota Kola performances, and we get into the meat of the plot: Who "owns" the forests? Or to extend this point, who owns Nature? The tribals who have lived in these lands for centuries? The government, which draws boundaries and creates forest reserves and wants to relocate these tribals? Or the local landlords, who still think that their ancestors gave away these lands, and so these lands are – in a sense – still theirs? Attached to this supertext is the subtext of whether we can really reject our identity. This question is posed through Shiva, who hails from a family of Bhoota Kola performers, but refuses to have anything to do with the folk-art form. It has something to do with his nightmares, which he must learn to face.

Meanwhile, he is content getting a "mass" entry as a Kambala champion, a man who wins buffalo races. Kantara follows the classic template of The Chosen One, a man who appears ordinary but is destined for greatness. At first, Shiva is as ordinary as ordinary can be. He drinks. He hunts. He pinches a girl's hip and peeps when she's bathing. He's called a "fighter cock", and he is constantly cursed by his mother. And like every self-respecting masala -movie hero, he locks horns with the antagonist, the man who will not allow him to do the things he likes to do. This man is the forest officer Murali, nicely played with gruff authority by Kishore. He represents the System, the government, and at least in one respect, he's the opposite of Shiva: this man does things by the rulebook. The third vertex in this male-triangle movie is the landlord played by Achyuth Kumar. He always wears white, and his heart appears equally spotless, equally pure.

But note his name: Devendra. It's a lordly name. It refers to the Vedic god, Indra – as opposed to the more pagan god we see being worshipped by the tribals. There’s a bit of discrimination right there. In short, we are either in a masala movie disguised as folklore, or in folklore disguised as a masala movie. Either way, everything has a touch of symbolism. When Murali interferes with a Bhoota Kola performance, it's also the government interfering in the centuries-old life and customs of tribals. When a tree falls on a Jeep, it almost seems like the forest is avenging itself on behalf of its people. And when the king's sword returns in the story, we recall a promise being made and what would happen when it is broken. All of this is richly shot by Arvind S Kashyap, and elevated by B Ajaneesh Loknath's score, which is simultaneously as big as rock music and as subtle as the gently rippling notes at the film's opening. And some of the action choreography is superb.

There are issues in the writing. The portions of Leela (Sapthami Gowda) falling for Shiva should have been better. There's a taken-for-granted quality about this love story. And though Kantara is not exactly a whodunit, the villains are easy enough to spot from a mile away, and a character's change of heart is entirely expected – meaning, the narrative could have used a lot more tension. And in such a story, I wish they'd avoided the cliches – like Shiva bursting in fury when his mother is slapped around, or the really cheap shot of a little girl being killed. But the bigger picture of Kantara is in the smaller details. It’s in the way Leela is torn between her affiliation to her job, i.e. the government, and her people, i.e. the tribals. It's in the way Nature is manifested as wild animals, as forests, as fire, as rain. When Shiva is drenched in a downpour, he says he isn't wet; he has been cleansed. It’s almost like Nature has performed a ritual on him. Despite the generic nature of the middle portions, the closing stretch complements the film’s opening beautifully. And there’s very little more potent than the rush of myth.

About Author

Baradwaj Rangan

National Award-winning film critic Baradwaj Rangan, former deputy editor of The Hindu and senior editor of Film Companion, has carved a niche for himself over the years as a powerful voice in cinema, especially the Tamil film industry, with his reviews of films. While he was pursuing his chemical engineering degree, he was fascinated with the writing and analysis of world cinema by American critics. Baradwaj completed his Master’s degree in Advertising and Public Relations through scholarship. His first review was for the Hindi film Dum, published on January 30, 2003, in the Madras Plus supplement of The Economic Times. He then started critiquing Tamil films in 2014 and did a review on the film Subramaniapuram, while also debuting as a writer in the unreleased rom-com Kadhal 2 Kalyanam. Furthermore, Baradwaj has authored two books - Conversations with Mani Ratnam, 2012, and A Journey Through Indian Cinema, 2014. In 2017, he joined Film Companion South and continued to show his prowess in critiquing for the next five years garnering a wide viewership and a fan following of his own before announcing to be a part of Galatta Media in March 2022.

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Watch | Rishab Shetty on the magic of ‘Kantara’ and why the tale has universal appeal

In an exclusive interview, rishab shetty speaks about how ‘kantara’ came to be, how he trained for the now-iconic bhoota kola performance, and more.

Updated - October 19, 2022 02:37 pm IST

Published - October 18, 2022 04:33 pm IST

“The more rooted a story, the more universal it can become,” says actor, writer, and director Rishab Shetty, on how films like his recent hit mystical-mystery Kantara still work for audiences who may not be aware of its cultural and regional roots. In Kantara , Rishab goes back to his roots in coastal Karnataka to tell a story that unifies nature, humanity, and the divine. Folklore, traditional practices, and regional beliefs take centre-stage, and Rishab’s performance as a man possessed by demi-gods Panjurli and Guliga has become a talking point. Interestingly, the actor believes that even the reason for the film’s existence and success goes to these divine beings.

Rishab Shetty | Photo Credit: Johan Sathyadas

The reception to Kantara has been such, that even before the release of the dubbed versions of the film in Hindi, Telugu, Tamil and Malayalam, the title became the highest-rated Indian film on the platform IMDb, surpassing the likes of KGF: Chapter 2 and RRR . Excerpts from a chat with the actor, who was in Chennai recently:

Congratulations on the success of ‘Kantara’ Where did the idea for this project germinate from?

I always believe that a film makes itself and that we are just tools. During the second lockdown, I thought about a real incident that had happened between an agriculturalist and a forest officer; it was not a mere clash of egos, as they represented two different things. A forest officer representing nature — who became the character played by Kishore — and a man from the village in the forest representing humanity, who is our protagonist Shiva. The latter is someone who doesn’t care about the rules of the forest department because he is only concerned about the livelihood of his people, which is based on agriculture.

This man hails from my homeland in coastal Karnataka, where the ritual of Daivaradhane and religious practices surrounding demi-gods are prominent. There, we believe that the land has a certain divine energy. I started thinking about how such beliefs about demigods   are prevalent across the country. For instance, in Tamil Nadu, these gods are called ‘Kaaval Deivangal’. I believe that the more rooted a story is, the more universal it can become, and so anyone can relate this story to ideas from their local beliefs and milieus. Bringing all this together, I wanted to tell a story about co-habitation, and how such demigods are a bridge between nature and humanity.

Rishab Shetty as Shiva in ‘Kantara’ | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement

Do you agree that   films with religious themes should be made in a certain way to attract the younger crop of audiences? ‘Kantara’ is a commercial entertainer, and not an arthouse film, per se...

Yes, because an audience pays and watches films only to be entertained for two and a half hours. Creators can say whatever they want as long as they provide entertainment too. Even if you tell a serious story, you have to ensure that you bring the audience to the edge of their seats.

These topics that are rooted in culture might sometimes overwhelm audiences. How important is to strike a certain balance between what to tell, and what not to tell?

Yes, that’s true. You should have something in your film that will make audiences think. That’s how you create a discussion outside the theatres. At the same time, a layman should also understand what you are trying to tell, and if not, the reach of the film will be limited.

Moreover, it is also important to understand that you are not smarter than the audience because they are more updated about the art than you are. We are already telling old stories; I mean, the idea behind this film itself is a year old and I’m showing that story on the big screen only after a year. That is also why I go for rooted stories because they are not easily accessible to everyone.

Kannada films like ‘Kantara’ and ‘Garuda Gamana Vrishabha Vahana’ have been well-received by audiences in other states as well. What do you attribute to this post-’Baahubali’ resurgence of south Indian films’ popularity across the country?

Earlier, cinema was the only source of entertainment for people. Even after television entered the picture, theatres retained some power, but now we are also talking about streaming platforms. Since audiences now have more options for entertainment — which need not be a film, but something as simple as a viral YouTube video — the stories should be universal and should cater to all.

But that doesn’t mean the film should be made to such international standards. It should also be rooted and that is a major reason why southern Indian content is now popular up north. Since Bollywood is now following a set pattern, churning out a specific type of commercial entertainer, films from the south that are rooted in their culture are being appreciated.

Writing a screenplay like ‘Kantara’ needs a certain conviction because even though we know what’s awaiting us at the end, it shocks you. In another film, we would have gotten red herrings to throw us off-course. Where did you get that confidence?

I believe in the divine energy that exists in nature, which I think is the purest form. So, my conviction in what I do comes from my conviction on the subject. We know that the demi-god will possess Shiva; it even appears and warns him every time he makes a mistake. But the lead-up to that should be organically set up. The prophecy the demi-god makes, in the beginning, is a tool that helps in this, but what happened later was not in my hands. The only thing that wasn’t on paper was the climax sequence that people are raving about. It existed only in my head. I started it, and then the gods took it to the end.

Your histrionics during the Bhoota Kola performance is getting a lot of appreciation, be it the expressions or that unique scream. How did you train for that?

We had a Bhoota Kola performer guide us throughout the filming, and I also watched videos of the performances. I visited the place where they perform the Kola, and I observed how they do it there. This is a sensitive topic and so it was important to get it right.

A still from ‘Kantara’ | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement

The music is a huge backbone of the film. How did you get such tunes out of music composer Ajaneesh Loknath?

Even when I was writing the film, I was clear that we should bring folk music to the fore. We brought real folk artists for the recordings. In fact, we recorded all the songs in an open-air theatre in Mangalore where music groups that play folk instruments like Koraga’s Dollu, Huli Kunitha Dollu, Thase, Nadaswaram and Chanda usually perform. We captured the tiniest of details, and then programmed it along with western instruments to create a fusion that would elevate the cinematic experience.

‘Kantara’ has a lot of Tulu-language dialogues in it; have you every thought about making a straight Tulu film?

Yes, I don’t have any qualms about making such a film. For now, I want to make Kannada movies because it is the Kannada film industry that gave me this life. But Tulu is also another language that is spoken within my state, and it is also the language of the land I hail from. So, if the opportunity presents itself, I’ll make a Tulu film.

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Kannada cinema / Tamil cinema / Indian cinema

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Why Kantara Is A Must Watch

Kantara is mesmerising, applauds Rajesh Karkera.

I normally steer clear of a movie for which the tagline is 'written, directed and acted by xyz'.

Well, all by the same one banda (person) because it's a just-one-cook-might-spoil-the-broth-too situation.

But Rishab Shetty's Kantara , which now has Hindi subtitles, had all enjoyable ingredients of a first-class film and never once made me rue the day I decided to watch the solo-job movie.

Here's what the movie made me realise, or rather remember: Daiva and kola are words I have heard since my childhood. Though I was born and raised in Mumbai, my family hails originally from Tulunad district, Mangaluru, and hence these are words I know of from a very long time.

I always wondered why all my elders in Mangalore are so attracted to this ritual of where a deity, not a god or deva , but a daiva is called upon for his blessings for the family or land, mostly land.

It is said in Mangalore, that, in the old days no one could sell off their land without the blessings of the daiva .

I am not a believer and this information was given to me by my wife Namita -- the daiva s are essentially Lord Shiva's ganasor attendants, who were sent across the land to look after its people.

It is also said that Lord Shiva sent the ganas as he himself could not be in all the places at the same time. To please the daivas , and to remind them always that they are never forgotten, a kola is organised.

The kola is a dance ritual.

Mythological legends are recited and enacted through this medium, completely in Tulu or Kannada and drummers and artistes take part in it. The rituals go on all night and it's not just a family event, but the whole village is invited too.

Kantara reminded me of Mangalorean village kola s and it recalled stories from my childhood. Stories that my Amma (grandmother) and my aunt would tell me -- not once, but many a time, when I couldn't fall asleep.

Tales about our ancestral place, which was where the Mangalore docks are located today, in Panambur, 10 km north of the city, near a beautiful beach, and how when the New Mangalore Port Trust was coming up, the government offered land to the former residents, in compensation,in other parts of Mangalore for them to resettle.

Our home got relocated to an area named Katipalla, five kilometres from Surathkal, also north of Mangaluru and that's where I spent most of my childhood holidays.

Kantara also reminded me of the tale that went around at that time, about a big stone in Panambur.

Though the villagers were forced to leave for land the government had offered them elsewhere, this stone, which the locals worshipped, could not be moved. It was immoveable. That one stone could never be pried out of the ground.

Kantara put those bachpan tales in perspective.

A brilliant watch, Kantara is not just for the people from Tulunad, but for everyone. It's mesmerising!

It's been almost a month since its release in Kannada and on October 14 the dubbed Hindi version was released and even on a weekday evening, the theatre was packed.

The narrative begins in the early 1800s and the first few minutes of the film, till when the titles come up, is enough to tell you that this is going to be a visual extravaganza that will demand more than one look!

Kantara revolves around a village in Tulunad district and their relationship with the forest and its daivas , especially two daivas -- Panjurli and Guliga. Of the two, Panjurli is calmer and forgiving. But Guliga is the one everyone should beware of and not invoke his anger.

Rishab Shetty has done an excellent job researching and portraying this tradition of daiva adoration to those of us who are ignorant of it. He showcased what daivas symbolise in a kind of raw, earthy yet detailed, realistic manner.

This movie caters to all.

It's got laughs.

It's got superb action sequences, which do justice to Arvind Kashyap's exquisite, vibrant, cinematography.

The characters, and the village jokes at Rampa Anna's expense (Rampa Anna is a character of ridicule and the butt of jokes in Mangaluru) did tame down an otherwise scary topic, making Kantara a visual feast.

Till almost near the end, you won't know who the actual bad guy is.

But it's not a suspense movie, or a horror flick. A thriller, yes.

Yet, in a subtle way -- which also succeeds in embracing tradition -- it gives us loads of colourful entertainment that bulldozes its way into our eyes and brain.

The opening sequence offers a taste of that, when Shetty comes riding in a plough, led by bulls in a race like the traditional Kambala ones held in southern Karnataka... And THAT is all I will disclose about the film.

You want to know the storyline or see some the fantastic characters in play -- go see it soon.

This is not an everyday movie you can see at home because Kantara is made for the big screen.

You will be glued to your seat and will even wonder why the interval even happened.

Get your popcorn before the movie starts!

More like this

Bollywood has much to learn from raj shetty, 'how much more indian can my film get'.

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Kantara (2022)

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