Kantara: A Legend - Chapter 1

Filmmaker-actor Rishab Shetty had set himself a lofty task after the unprecedented blockbuster success of Kantara (2022), particularly in its Hindi-dubbed version. Much like Prashanth Neel (KGF, 2018-22) and Sukumar (Pushpa, 2021-24), Shetty, too, expanded the universe of his pan-India franchise. Only instead of going forward, he chose to go back in time to establish the origins.

तीन साल पहले कन्नड़ से हिन्दी में डब होकर आई थी ‘कांतारा’। एक लोक-कथा के मिश्रण में मूल निवासियों के जंगल पर अधिकार के संघर्ष, अमीर-गरीब और ऊंची-नीची जाति के भेदभाव और दैवीय न्याय को दिखाती वह फिल्म सीक्वेल की संभावना के साथ खत्म हुई थी। लेकिन जब इसके निर्देशक-अभिनेता ऋषभ शैट्टी ने ऐलान किया कि वह उसका सीक्वेल नहीं बल्कि प्रीक्वेल लाएंगे तो उत्सुकता और बढ़ गई थी। अब आई ‘कांतारा-चैप्टर 1’ उस बढ़ी हुई उत्सुकता को पूरी तरह से शांत करती है।

There are films that end with closure, films that end with questions. And then there’s Kantara: Chapter 1, which ends with a divine tiger, a scheming princess, a possessed king, and Rishab Shetty turning into a ball of fire before shapeshifting into a goddess’s wrath. Yes, subtlety packed its bags early in this movie. And chances are you walked out of the theatre blinking and muttering, “Wait, what just happened?”

All that you expect it to be and then some, Kantara: A Legend - Chapter 1 is an audaciously conceived and mounted visual spectacle packed with high points that are strong enough to make amends for the sections that appear a touch laboured and overstretched. Lead actor and director Rishab Shetty leaves no stone unturned to enhance the scale and sweep of Kantara, a pan-Indian hit that paved the way for this ambitious prequel that now also has a sequel in the works. The makers are clearly aware that they always had a hard act to follow.

In light of the tremendous success of Kantara (2022), it was inevitable that another film would follow. Kantara: Chapter 1 serves as a prequel and is characterized by its larger scale, and heightened ambition. With a runtime of nearly 3 hours, the filmmakers have opted for a grand approach, and as a visual experience, Chapter 1 certainly delivers. However, it does feel somewhat excessive and might have benefited from a more trimmed version, but then it is what it is.

Within weeks of its release in 2022, Rishab Shetty’s Kannada film Kantara (Mystical Forest) became a pan-India hit. The narrative, rooted in local tradition, explored dynastic clashes and faith colliding with human greed. The film connected so strongly with audiences, that it spawned prequels (chapter 2 is set to follow). Where the earlier film was an unassuming, near-folk tale that blossomed into something both mythic and weighty, this prequel is undoubtedly far more confident, backed by a much larger budget that permits the creator’s sprawling vision to come alive on screen but propelled by the same passion. This is a super-sized film—thrilling in parts, sometimes overexerted.

In 2022, when Rishab Shetty’s ‘Kantara’ hit the screens, the breath of fresh air wrapped in originality and ingenuity swept not just his home state Karnataka but the country at large like a storm. Three years later, as the prequel, once again an amalgamation of folklore, rituals and the ancient Indian belief system rooted in Kannada culture, makes its tryst with big screens, it’s a tornado. Only, it will sweep you off your feet for all the right reasons. Call it a cinematic marvel, an ethereal experience, masterclass in how not to get a franchise wrong, ‘Kantara’s’ prequel reinforces how legends are born. Shetty, writer-director and lead actor, proves resoundingly how ‘Kantara’ was no fluke, only a flash of the multitalented genius that he is. Shetty ups the game in all aspects. Story-telling with writing support from Anirudh Mahesh and Shanil Guru, world building or treatment, he does not falter in any department.