There is a saying said by the spirits worshiped in coastal areas of Karnataka, “I shall not leave the hands of those who believe in me and shall cause the non- believers to fold their hands before me.” The movie Kantara is a perfect visual portrayal of this. The movie is written and directed by Rishabh Shetty who also plays the main lead named Shiva. It is produced by Hombale Films. This movie has a set of talented actors like Kishore Kumar as a DRFO officer, Achyut Kumar as the landlord and many others like Pramod Shetty, Saptami Gowda and Shine Shetty.
The movie is set in a mysterious place called Kaadubettu. The people here are firm believers of rituals like Bhootaradane. They worship the spirits of ancestors and animals. The people of Kaadubettu worship the spirit of boar “Panjurli.” The story revolves around a plot of land that has been gifted to the people by the king years ago. The successors of the king try to take back the land but every time the demigod helps the people to retain the land to themselves.
The culture of coastal Karnataka has been visualized in a never before way. The scenes of Kambala (buffalo race), bhootakola and yakshagana are beautifully shot with precision without bringing any harm to the cultural belief of the natives. Every action sequence is unique. The team has brought different elements in all action scenes. The first fight scene takes place in kambala ground which is a muddy field, another sequence has rain as its element and the climax has fire as its element.
The second half of the movie is where things escalate. The unraveling of the major plot twist and the act of restoring Shiva’s faith in demigods brings us to the edge of our seats. The last 30 minutes of the movie is sheer brilliance. The direction, action choreography, Rishab Shetty's fierce acting and the bhootakola scene is definitely the highlight of the movie. The cast has also succeeded in the genre of comedy with characters like Rampa, Bulla and Sundara. The romance seemed forced and didn't contribute to the story. Kishore Kumar has made an impact through his dominating acting. The character development of each and every person is valuable to the story plot.
The movie has given goosebumps to everyone who has watched it. The sets were made with precision and a lot of study. Technically, the movie excels at every stage. One cannot forget the music. The music director B. Ajaneesh Loknath has made a brilliant composition of songs like Varaha Roopam which uplifts the climax to a different level.
Overall, the movie is a great mix of suspense, thriller, action, comedy and folklore. It brings you closer to your land and culture. It upholds the message that “Divine always prevails and so does our culture.”
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