By Chirag Sehgal,Kashvi Raj Singh,News18

Copyright news18

Kantara Chapter 1 Review: Rishab Shetty’s Kantara (2022) was an underdog whose growl proved so mighty that it secured multiple National Award wins and a glaringly positive box office response. But the odds of hitting the jackpot twice in a row are slim to none. Yet, Kantara: Chapter 1 is an earnest attempt to recreate the cinematic ‘aha’ moment we once witnessed.
Kantara: Chapter 1 delves deeper into the mysteries of the jungle and explores the sacred significance of the coveted land. It reiterates the notion that whenever evil overshadows the good in society, God’s avatar is born to save the desolate. In the prequel, when Kulsekhara (Gulshan Devaiah) is crowned as the King of Bangara, his death knell rings clear: he is an unjust king who thrives on exploitation and an unrightful air of arrogance.
When Kulshekhara decides to challenge the sanctity of the mystic forest, the Kantara tribe’s strongest leader, Berme (Rishab Shetty), stands in his way to protect the home of his daivas. What follows is a ‘town mouse-country mouse’ exchange, and tempted by the advancements of civilisation in Bangara, Berme decides to venture outside the borders of his sacred jungle.
Beyond the holy ground, the evils of caste discrimination, violence and untouchability loom large over Kulshekhara’s kingdom. We have heard this story before: ‘man leaves home to realise that home is best.’ However, since the boundary between good and evil has now been transcended, the home of the daivas has been put at risk.
Director-actor Rishab Shetty then crafts a saga of spiritual wonder, comedy, and action. Now, I must preface that I watched the Hindi-dubbed version of the film. While the language used by the characters reflects their ethics, words like “Jhandu” and phrases like “Kartavya ka achaar daal ke tu hi chaat,” “Yeh baat apni khopdi main baithaiye” and “Kiske langot main aag lagi hai” (and more) seem unsavoury given the film’s timeline. Rishab Shetty possibly understood that the dubbed version could underwhelm the film, and thus, certain key scenes are retained in the original language.
Kantara: Chapter 1 begins slowly. The entire first half of the film is used for world-building, which doesn’t make sense at first. While every attempt is made to flesh out all characters from the start, some sequences seem unnecessarily dragged out. However, the film wastes no time in the second half. The plot becomes more interesting, the pace is faster, and it ends with a shocking twist.
The elaborate action sequences get their due in the second half, and so does Rishab Shetty, the actor. A “possessed” Rishab Shetty is a force on screen. He compels you to appreciate his talent and has a natural tendency to grab your attention every time he is on screen. However, the same cannot be said about the actor in the more ‘regular’ scenes. The everyday Berme is reminiscent of Prabhas in Baahubali 1- not much to offer unless there’s a fight. Even Rukmini Vasanth usually has the same expressions.
In a time when stories rooted in Indian culture are winning big at the box office, Kantara’s prequel needed a special hinge to avoid being labelled as ‘just another folklore film’. The heart of Kantara: Chapter 1 is its music (B Ajaneesh Loknath) and visual teams. The background score and the use of classical music to drive scenes are brilliant. Similarly, the cinematography (Arvind S Kashyap) and the VFX teams deserve all the accolades for creating a texturally rich film with believable effects. The attention to detail, especially the emotions of animals, is commendable.
Is Kantara: Chapter 1 a National Award-worthy instalment in the franchise? I don’t think so. But should you still watch it? Absolutely. Despite some forgivable flaws, the film is a visual treat, and the second half will surely leave you jaw-dropped. Kantara: Chapter 1 is Rishab Shetty’s attempt at amalgamating Indian folklore with mainstream cinema, and this he does well.