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Kantara Movie Review : It’s a Rishab Shetty show all the way

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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..

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.

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.

• Cast Rishab Shetty, Kishore, Achyuth Kumar, Sapthami Gowda
• Director Rishab Shetty

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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 retelling of folklore is highly imaginative and immersive

Kantara movie review: rishab shetty, who has also written and directed this film, narrates this conflict of ignorance and misunderstanding in a colourful and visually engrossing manner..

A sure-shot sign of a well-written film is when you can’t tell who is the villain within the first 10 minutes. The insidious antagonist creates an illusion of distrust in the narration while not giving himself away. We can’t put a finger on who’s the bad guy or what are their motives till we are immersed in the film and trying to untangle the knots. That pivotal point usually comes very close to the climax. This is the journey of watching filmmaker-actor Rishab Shetty’s latest film Kantara, a well-written, beautifully shot, and amazingly performed cinematic experience.

The main plot of Kantara is a familiar one. The film revolves around the rights of indigenous people on the land where they have lived for generations. It’s a power struggle between native people and the government, which tries to regulate their way of life. A man walks into the forest to fetch some herbal roots that will stop his hair fall based on his wife’s advice. Muralidhar (Kishore), the forest officer, takes offence, slaps the locals and asks, “Do you think this forest is your ancestral property?” The short answer is yes. The locals think they are entitled to enjoy everything that the forest has to offer, for they have been part of its ecosystem for hundreds of years. The indigenous people fail to comprehend the orders of the cop. “Who the hell is he to tell us all these things?” they wonder.

Muralidhar cannot understand this sense of entitlement while the people of the forest struggle to understand how he holds authority over their lives.

Rishab’s Shiva, the hero of the film, comes from a long line of men who perform ‘ Bhoota Kola ‘, the spirit worship. He is, however, too distracted by the temptations of life to have the discipline to carry forward his family’s legacy. Good for him, he has a younger brother, who performs his Bhoota duties with exemplary discipline and devotion. Shiva’s pastime is hunting wild boars, which also have a sacred place in their culture. In a way, he’s killing wild boars because they haunt him in his dreams. For him to transform and become the ‘demi-god’, he first needs to first tame his inner demons.

Rishab, who has also written and directed this film, narrates this conflict of ignorance and misunderstanding in a colourful and visually engrossing manner. He bases this film on the folklore of Karnataka ’s Tulu Nadu region. He infuses every frame with pure visceral energy by introducing us to the wild, vibrant and youthful vigour of the lifestyle of the people of that region. The culture of Bhootaradhane adds a powerful dose of mystery and thrill and enhances the way we experience the story of Kantara.

The wonderful frames of cinematographer Arvind S. Kashyap gel well with the highly imaginative music beats composed by B. Ajaneesh Loknath. In the last 15 minutes of the movie, music plays an especially vital role as it complements Rishab’s electrifying performance.

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Kantara: A Legend Reviews

Although definitely over the top, “Kantara” emerges as a film well-written, directed, acted and visually impressive, in a truly entertaining package that even justifies its 148 minutes.

Full Review | Original Score: 7.5 | Aug 4, 2024

Gandhi's point is clear and precise, there is a thin line that separates glorification from disfavour. It is on us, the audience, to decide which side we want to favour.

Full Review | Jan 31, 2023

KANTARA is a film that proves how much appeal and fascination a very regional subject matter can have when the filmmakers tell their story with so much passion and dedication.

Full Review | Original Score: 8/10 | Nov 30, 2022

Kantara isn’t a magic-realist fable set in rural India at all, but basically a toxic KGF clone with a plot denser than the forest in which its (toxic) hero lives.

Full Review | Nov 28, 2022

B Ajaneesh Loknath’s music is soothing. With plenty to savour for both mass and class audience, Kantara undoubtedly makes for a wonderful theatrical experience.

Full Review | Original Score: 4/5 | Oct 19, 2022

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.

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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 (2022): Movie Review & Ending, Explained

Rishabh Shetty’s Kantara is one of the latest box office successes that is creating quite some brouhaha within the cinema-goer fraternity. With a whopping 9.6 rating on IMDb , the film turns out to be a bigger hit than KGF 2- Hombale Films’ last release. Normally, I do not wrangle myself in the politics of film ratings- I give my two cents to people who are willing to trust my judgment and walk away. But today was different- I not only spent 2.5 hours in the theater questioning the morals of the film critics and giants like IMDb but also felt sorry about legendary films like Tumbbad that went unnoticed.

Kantara Plot Summary & Movie Synopsis: 

The old folklore of the Punjarli from the coastal part of Karnataka forms the heart of Kantara. As per the myth, Punjarli (a word derived from boar) is the local demigod who looks after the tribals for their well-being and prosperity. He is also joined by his brother Guligu in the task. To honor the deity, the locals celebrate an annual event ‘Kola’ which is led by a priest. After the rituals, the demigod briefly possesses the priest to address the problems of the tribals and answer their questions.

This story originates in the 1800s when the King of the land left his house and family in search of peace, prosperity, and happiness. After a long quest, he eventually finds a small village in the heart of the forest with the idol of the demigod Punjarli. That’s where his search ends. Naturally, he wishes for God to follow him back to his kingdom so he could lead a happy life. But there is a catch- he can only make that happen in exchange for large acres of forest land to the tribals (to which he agrees).

Fast forward 100 years (the 1970s) from when the king gave his word, a descendent zamindar comes back to the village to claim the land that was given by his ancestors. The villagers protest against it and warn him of the wrath of the demigod that has been protecting them but to no avail. The dispute escalates till the Punjarli had to interfere and curse the zamindar to a painful death. Soon after the malediction, the demigod runs off to a forest and disappears, leaving his very young son right after him. 

The film then jumps to 1990. It centers around Shiva (the old demigod’s son), who has grown up to become a good-for-nothing yet the very loved son of the village. He hunts boars, eats them, and fights. Since the disappearance of the demigod, another villager (Guruva) has taken up the role to perform the rituals. It is expected of Shiva to take up the role but his disinterest and his reckless attitude get the better of him. Rather, he prefers spending most of his time hunting boars, eating them, drinking, and fighting.

At this point, we are also presented with the conflict- there is a new forest officer (Murali) who has been transferred to the area to prevent encroachment and preserve the forest. Since the villagers have little knowledge of the new laws, they are clearly agitated and Shiva takes this enmity up with the officer on behalf of the villagers. Additionally, there is also the zamindar (current descendent)- Rammpa, who is still looking to claim his land back. Subsequently, the narrative segues into a story about vengeance, anger (lots of it), unfunny series of jokes, and unexplainable reactions. The end, my friends, is as you all already know by now.

What Went Wrong With the Narrative

Character development of the protagonist.

Indian cinema has a history of romanticizing bratty male protagonists. It’s one character we love to hate and then eventually love. I can count ten on my fingertips now- Rocky from KGF, Vijay Deverakonda in Arjun Reddy, Shahid Kapoor in Kabir Singh, Aditya Kapoor in Ishaqzaade….you get the drift. But Shiva from Kantara couldn’t be them because he could never evoke that sense of empathy in his audience.

Shiva was always vagrant, rude, or bullish. We were never aware of his inner warmth. Even his love affair was very crude; it wasn’t soft or had any sense of longing that people in love usually feel for their beloved. Although the film greatly deals with the man v. nature subject, and the romantic subplot was just on the side, that doesn’t warrant such a hurried progression of romance that hardly feels coherent.

Unlike other conventional heroes – he wasn’t fighting for a real cause. He was just fighting for momentary issues that would arise every now and again. That trivialized his role. That is probably why I, as an audience, never saw him as the ‘hero’ that the filmmakers have touted him to be.

Suggestive Harassment Scenes Between the Lead Characters

Now I think this is thin ice that I am treading over, and I might get a lot of backlash about this. But it just feels about time that I should say it out loud. We need to stop showing borderline harassment scenes under the pretext of romance. A country-wide audience watches it, including impressionable young boys. Pulling a dupatta off a woman, grabbing her arm to pull her closer, pulling her hair back to kiss her neck….IS NOT COOL. Especially if the woman is unsure (or is shying away). More so, if the relationship is new most times, women can’t say no, and they generally ‘go with the flow’ only to pay for therapy later. It’s time we did away with this trope. 

No Motive for Secondary Characters

Some characters are just created to mislead the audience- like Murali (the Forest Officer). He has undue resentment. You will want to ask, what’s the cause of all this anger? There is none. There are hints of his enormous ego that might clash with his work, but that isn’t enough. To target a person and then go after him needs a better motive. The audience feels all the more cheated at the end when he abruptly decides to make up and becomes a good samaritan. How? I ask. And why? What is the trigger? Again, there is no answer.

Another deceptive character is the minister’s differently-abled son. I ask what the reason for creating a complicated character is. In one scene, the minister narrates his ill-doings to his son just because he can’t understand. But that could have been a monologue or a thought-to-self sequence. In short, there are a lot of unjustified distractions in the film that doesn’t serve any purpose in the narrative.

Uneven Pace & Weak Climax

The film starts at a breakneck pace- the first 15 min probably impart most of the information and set the stage correctly. Several jovial segments follow it like Shiva goofing around, Murali being a mean police officer, Shiva’s mother berating him, etc. Post-interval sequences are monotonous and tedious. At one point, you get sick of Shiva yelling and shouting and will question yourself when the climax comes.

At last, when the climax does come, it is weak and uninteresting. Shiva has to avenge the death of his cousin and fight for the safety of his land. A very long sequence of Shiva resurrecting to life in the form of a demigod becomes a mockery because of the emanating sounds from his mouth. And when it all does end, you certainly won’t feel the ‘wow’ factor. Also, lately, we have gotten into the habit of open-ended stories. I suggest we refrain from just falling into the trap just because it’s a trend.

What Worked for Kantara

Having said that, the film also wasn’t without its good and had its fine redeeming moments. Movies shot in southern India have a quintessential rustic yet beautiful vibe, and Kantara is no different. It’s shot against drop-dead gorgeous scenery and boats of a scintillating color palette. The jungle, waterfalls, and village speak to the camera like living beings.

The filmmakers have also done a fantastic job shooting the action sequences- they are so well-rehearsed and choreographed that they look poetic. Kudos to the team for shooting each fight scene differently. This one sequence is shot from the POV of Shiva when he is high on substance. That is especially brilliant. The color correction and post-production also deserve special mention for painting those vivid images on the screen that almost looked real.

Kantara Movie Ending, Explained: 

Not a lot remains to be explained after all that commenting. But I will just go ahead and summarize for anyone who wishes to read further. Shiva was unaware of his purpose in life unless he was made to realize it. He always saw nightmares of the boar, which was a form of the demigod, which in turn was his father. Maybe his father was trying to communicate to him through his dreams so he could realize his actual purpose and take his place as the righteous demigod for the village.

But after Shiva died, he was resurrected only so he could fulfill the cause of his being. The ring of fire where the demigod vanishes for the first time is always a recurring theme in the film, trying to remind Shiva of his actual duties. After he realizes it and leads the ‘Kola’ customs, he runs away to the same ring of fire to meet his predecessor. Since the demigods are supposed to serve the villagers and keep them safe, their purpose in life ends there. Another problem will lead to the birth of another demigod, and so on. 

Hence, when Shiva reaches the ring of fire, he comes face to face with Punjarli (the God), which could possibly be his father. And they both disappear because they have fulfilled their cause… until next time. The very last scene also shows Shiva’s son listening to the story. Maybe the riveting success of the film nudges the filmmakers for a sequel. 

Related Article: Jallikattu [2019] Review: How Masculinity Is Rendered Fragile With Its Volatility

Kantara (2022) Movie Links: Letterboxd Kantara (2022) Movie Cast: Rishab Shetty, Sapthami Gowda, Kishore Kumar G., Achyuth Kumar, Pramod Shetty

Where to watch kantara.

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Kantara review: A fairy tale that is nothing short of brilliant

Easily one of the finest cinematic experiences in recent times from Sandalwood, writer, director, and actor Rishab Shetty delivers his best till date, both on and off the screen.

Published:Oct 10, 2022

A still from the movie Kantara. (Supplied)

Kantara leaves a mark on audience!

Kantara (Kannada)

• Cast: Rishab Shetty, Achyuth Kumar, Kishore Kumar, Sapthami Gowda, Pramod Shetty, Shine Shetty
• Director: Rishab Shetty
• Producer: Vijay Kiragandur
• Music: B Ajaneesh Loknath
• Running time: 2 hours 48 minutes
• Cast: Salman Khan, Katrina Kaif, Emraan Hashmi, and Revathy
• Director: Maneesh Sharma
• Producer: Aditya Chopra
• Music: Pritam Chakraborty
• Runtime: 2 hours 35 minutes

The Kannada movie Kantara kicks off with a king from the 18th century who has all the comforts of life but for peace and happiness. He sets out on a journey seeking fulfilment and soon stumbles upon a deity located inside a forest worshipped by the tribals.

Initially unwilling to accompany him, the supreme power makes a pact with the king — fulfilment if he donates some part of his land to the tribals who worship the God. But if he backtracks on his words, the God would take his peace back forever.

With the greed and selfishness of humans combined with cultural and traditional beliefs, Kantara is a brilliant piece of work stitched together perfectly in terms of making and on-screen performances.

Apart from the highlights of Dakshina Kannada culture — traditions such as daivaradhane , bhoota kola , and kambala (buffalo race) — it is the narration that captures the attention of the viewer right till the end.

The peace pact is unsettled when the king’s future generation eyes the vast land donated to the tribals.

This is when the deity returns with a vengeance. Shiva (Rishab Shetty), who witnesses his father in whom the deity had incarnated and took him away forever, grows on to become a vagabond. Thereafter, it is Shiva’s show all the way.

Achyuth Kumar plays a descendant of the king who is now a landlord. Another character, that of a forest officer, played by Kishore captures the man-nature conflict well.

The dual character of the landlord and how he meticulously plans to retain the land lost to the tribals sets the tempo of the tale.

The works of the art and cinematography departments complement each other to make it a visual treat. The best part of it all is the simplicity of characters that gives it a natural feel, which is unfortunately a big missing factor in recent commercial ventures.

It neither falls under the commercial nor the parallel films category and strikes a fine balance, with a good and clean storytelling experience.

Yes, there are a few drawbacks, but they hardly make a difference and do not spoil the overall effort.

In between, there are bits of romance, fights, and humour but the tale largely revolves around human greed and conflict with nature, along with a fine representation of culture and traditions.

One-man show

Apart from writing an effective script and then realising it perfectly on the screen, Rishab , who portrays Shiva, is undoubtedly the shining star of Kantara .

Rishab Shetty in Kantara (Facebook/Kantara)

He has excelled in his acting, showing remarkable versatility. What makes it memorable is that he has achieved it without the label of a star actor.

Be it the kambala or the daivaradhane sequences, Rishab leaves a lasting impression. Unlike KGF , made under the same banner — Hombale Films — Kantara came with no expectations but ends up as one of the best cinematic experiences in recent times in Kannada.

We can even say that it is easily one of the best Kannada films of all time.

The conflict

Not limited to mere romance or action, the movie focuses on the burgeoning conflict between humans and nature. The plot of a forest officer who is up in arms against tribals over encroaching forest land reflects the current real-life scenario.

While nature is one important aspect of the film, it also portrays the unique culture and traditions followed by the tribals and captures the rich history of the Tulunadu region.

Any good dish is a combination of proper ingredients and the perfect making process. For Kantara , the script, narration, and technical excellence are the ingredients. It combines this with power-packed performances for a well-made entertainer.

The film ends on a high note with a breathtaking sequence showing the fight for survival. Though the end is predictable, it nevertheless leaves a mark of its own.

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