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Kantara Chapter 1 Movie Review & Rating: In Kantara (2022), as the Kambala competition grew more intense, a village elder was seen telling Kaadubettu Shiva (Rishab Shetty), “The buffaloes are running with all their might. But ironically, the owner ends up getting the medal.” Although it initially appeared to be a random observation, as the movie progressed, it became clear that this, in a way, formed Kantara’s crux and that the narrative’s subsequent progress focused on resistance against a similar injustice.
What worked in the 2022 action thriller’s favour, however, was the intricate way Rishab, who also penned and directed the movie, glued together several small elements — actions, reactions, gestures, incidents, visual metaphors, dialogues, etc — to create a panoramic image, with even the microscopic components contributing to the larger picture. Beneath all that, Kantara also had a soul; one that communicated what it wished to say as loudly as the Woah! of Guliga. However, in its prequel, Kantara: Chapter 1, all that remains is the scream, which is louder than ever, while the soul flickers in and out unsteadily.
Set several centuries before the events of the 2022 movie, Kantara Chapter 1 narrates how the spot where Shiva’s father, the Bhoota Kola performer, vanished, has a divine connection. Much like the first instalment, power, deceit, oppression, survival, resistance, and resurrection are major themes explored in Kantara Chapter 1 as well. However, instead of conveniently replacing a few elements and characters in the former’s skeleton, leaving the base story unchanged, Rishab has attempted to create something entirely original from scratch here.
Kantara, the dense and mysterious forest, described by all as “God’s garden,” is where a tribal community lives harmoniously, protected by their daivas Panjurli and Guliga. Due to their intricately intertwined connection with the roots, the natives are also worshippers of nature and hence, their surroundings act as armour for the masses. After learning about Kantara’s mystical and unyielding power at a young age, King Vijayendra (Jayaram) prohibits his family and those living around his citadel from venturing there, thus separating the two with an imaginary fence.
Years later, following his coronation, Vijayendra’s son and new King Kulashekara (Gulshan Devaiah), a perpetual loafer, ventures into Kantara for hunting. As a result, a clash ensues between the royal army and the natives. The issue snowballs into a nightmare when Kantara natives, under the leadership of local warrior Berme (Rishab), step beyond their territories, see the world outside, realise its potential and begin using their own resources to improve their lifestyles. With his sister, Princess Kanakavathi (Rukmini Vasanth), developing a soft corner for the powerhouse Berme, an egoistic Kulashekara fears the loss of his throne. Thus, a war begins between the two sides, which intensifies further as another tribe, engaged in black magic and seeking to dominate Panjurli, comes to the aid of the royal family to destroy Kantara.
One of the major reasons why Kantara 2 feels soulless is due to Rishab’s inability to personify the setting in a meaningful manner. Although it offers glimpses of people’s attachment to their surroundings, this aspect never goes beyond the superficial. As a result, the story comes across as merely one tribal community’s struggle for survival and a dignified living, with the crucial theme of land rights going overlooked and under-explored.
Rishab’s overt focus on too many unnecessary elements, which highlight the production’s grandeur, has also significantly affected the movie. For example, within a short span of time, we see two chaotic sequences set in the Bangre market — one where Berme and his gang create a ruckus on a chariot and another when a horse is on the loose. While both scenes evidently showcase the exquisite production design and the richness Rishab has ensured in the visuals, they offer nothing more than grandeur. Yet, a considerable amount of time is wasted on them while critical aspects of the narrative are simply ignored.
Although we witness the screams and wailings of various characters at different junctures, Rishab’s failure to ground the story emotionally keeps their pain from truly hitting our hearts. Another factor contributing to this, along with the script’s inadequacy in personifying the setting, is the overt focus on Berme. From start to finish, the movie resembles the origin story of Berme rather than the legend behind Kantara. Aside from him, the only characters with individual depth are King Vijayendra and his children, who stand on the other side of the battlefield. While the film manages to familiarise us with some of the faces living in Kantara due to their frequent appearances, they remain little more than background presences. Those who do have dialogues, meanwhile, are often wasted in futile attempts to evoke laughter from the audience with ill-timed and unfunny jokes. In the end, Kantara 2 comes across as Rishab’s love letter to himself and his potential as an actor and director, with the overwhelming hero worship that Berme receives underscoring just how obsessed the actor-director may be with himself. Almost similar to what Kamal Haasan did in Dasavathaaram (2008).
Unlike films like Pulimurugan (2016), where the man vs wild conflict was portrayed solely through a human lens — depicting triumphs over wild animals as a matter of pride — Kantara 2 beautifully weaves in the connection that the indigenous people had with the wilderness and its inhabitants. By giving it an intriguing divine twist, the movie illustrates how such bonds are forged with mutual trust and respect. However, the film’s unnecessary efforts to establish divine connections everywhere have backfired significantly, as, after a point, they become forced and appear to be a convenient plot device.
From the classification of tribals as just good and bad to the sly blending of tribal rituals with Hinduism — bringing everything under a single, large, seemingly homogenous umbrella and thus appropriating the customs that the savarna once considered savage and impure — Kantara 2 also taps into several tactics that the right wing has been using to expand its base. By going all out with its hero worship, focusing solely on the pātri and blurring out the many hands that turned the wheel of revolution, it also misrepresents the historical journey of the marginalised.
In contrast to films like Pushpa 2: The Rule and L2: Empuraan, which were clearly enlarged to satisfy the hype surrounding them, Rishab Shetty manages to retain the core of his movie intact. However, he also attempts to capitalise on everything that worked in the first instalment, sprinkling those elements throughout Kantara 2. From using the moment the male lead is possessed by Guliga for elevation, to unnecessary jokes and a bit of misogyny here and there, Kantara 2 reminds one of the first part for some of the wrong reasons quite a few times.
Yet, beyond all its shortcomings, the magnificence and opulence of the world Rishab has created, along with his performance, shine brightly. Thanks to contributions from cinematographer Arvind S Kashyap, production designer Banglan, art director Dharani Gangeputra, and costume designer Pragathi Shetty, the writer-director manages to offer audiences a visual treat like never before, often compensating for its narrative deficiencies. The editing by Suresh and the work of the sound design and VFX crew also deserve special commendation for not simply sticking to a template and instead offering something fresh at every turn. Compared to the previous instalment, B Ajaneesh Loknath’s music misses the mark this time, though there are a few instances, particularly in the high-octane action sequences, where his talents stand out.
Despite the lack of a character arc pulling Rishab back from going all out, he delivers an outstanding performance in physically demanding scenes, particularly when he is possessed by Guliga and later by Chamundi in the climax. Although Rukmini appeared as a token female character, the sudden twist in her arc towards the end worked well, thanks in significant part to her ability to rise to the role’s demands. Without resorting to an exaggerated portrayal, Rukmini manages to embody the ethos of Kanakavathi with finesse.
Kantara Chapter 1 movie cast: Rishab Shetty, Rukmini Vasanth, Gulshan Devaiah, Jayaram
Kantara Chapter 1 movie director: Rishab Shetty
Kantara Chapter 1 movie rating: 3 stars
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