kantara movie review film companion

'Kantara' movie review: Rishab Shetty delivers a compelling and rooted film

Conflicts between man and nature have always provided enough fodder for our filmmakers to dole out one film after the other. Rishab Shetty’s Kantara, though dealing with the same concept, strives to be original and wins at it by staying rooted and realistic.

Even in his previous films, Ricky and Sa.Hi.Pra Shaale, Rishab expressed his flair for telling stories of the coastal belt of Karnataka. With Kantara, he further goes deep into the woods to talk about safeguarding forests even while delivering a compelling revenge-action drama with a blend of crime and divinity.

Kantara is set in a fictional village of Dakshina Kannada, and begins in the 18th century when a king exchanges a piece of land with his people and moves on to find peace and happiness. Centuries later, the same land becomes a threat to the tribals of that area., but they believe their demigods, doubling up as their guardians, protect the village. The story shifts to the 90s, and we see the face-off between villagers who dwell in the forests, and the forest officer who wants to clear any encroachment in the area.

Shiva (Rishab Shetty) lives a carefree life with his friends, and is often at loggerheads with forest officer Murali (Kishore), who just wants to uphold the law of the land. We also have a politician Devendra Suttur (Achyuth Kumar), whose misdeeds become his identity. But there is a bigger evil at work, and Kantara is about Shiva’s struggle to bring justice to the people of the village.

The film ends with an outstanding climax, which is definitely the USP of Kantara. There are multiple viewpoints in Kantara, and it is all wonderfully brought together by Rishab, who has written and directed the film too.

Rishab is only getting better with each film, and the backing of Hombale Films has allowed the filmmaker to make the movie more realistic. Even though it runs on the familiar territory of human-nature conflict, the chapters of Bhoota kola and Kambala make it unique. Every frame of the film is beautiful. DOP Aravind Kashyap lights up Kantara in vivid shades, and with able support from art director Dharani Gange Putra, gives Kantara a rather natural look.

Kantara also explores some serious issues like caste discrimination. While there is no separate comedy track, there are enough quirks in some of the characters to add to the fun quotient. The film brings in crisp narration, and extra credit should be given to the well-orchestrated action sequences.

Composer Ajaneesh Loknath is marvellous in Kantara. While his folk melodies are soothing, the background score accentuates the narrative of Kantara.

Rishab, the actor, is outstanding as Shiva, and breathes life into this rather unconventional character. He has undergone a mass and intense transformation for the role, and the effects are evident. Rishab’s performance in the nail-biting climax will definitely make the audience cheer and applaud for him. Sapthami Gowda as forest guard Leela, who is also Shiva’s love interest, delivers a decent performance in Kantara. Kishore and Achyuth too give powerful performances, and it is a joy to watch the former’s intense ego clashes with Shiva. Manasi Sudhir, Pramod Shetty and Prakash Thuminad too are decent with their acts.

With Kantara, Rishab once again creates magic, both as a director and an actor, and delivers an entertainer with a strong social message, and an even stronger final act.

Director : Rishab Shetty

Cast : Rishab Shetty, Sapthami Gowda, Kishore, Achyuth Kumar

Ratings : 4 out of 5 stars

(This story originally appeared on Cinema Express )

Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp  

Download the TNIE app to stay with us and follow the latest

Related Stories

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..

A still from Kantara trailer. (courtesy: HombaleFilms )

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.

Promoted Listen to the latest songs, only on JioSaavn.com

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.

Rishab Shetty, Kishore, Achyuth Kumar, Sapthami Gowda

Rishab Shetty

Track Budget 2023 and get Latest News Live on NDTV.com.

Track Latest News Live on NDTV.com and get news updates from India and around the world .

Track Latest News and Election Results Coverage Live on NDTV.com and get news updates from India and around the world.

Watch Live News:

Thanks For Rating

Reminder successfully set, select a city.

• Nashik Times
• Aurangabad Times
• Badlapur Times

You can change your city from here. We serve personalized stories based on the selected city

• Edit Profile
• Briefs Movies TV Web Series Lifestyle Trending Medithon Visual Stories Music Events Videos Theatre Photos Gaming

Rumored beau Zaheer Iqbal praises Sonakshi Sinha's enchanting performance in 'Heeramandi: The Diamond Bazaar's latest song

Salman Khan is not filing a case against comedian Kunal Kamra: reports

Birthday Throwback: When Lisa Ray slammed the movie 'Barbie', questioned 'woke millennials'

Amar Singh Chamkila, City Hunter and more: Here's a look at some exciting OTT releases in April

Are Justin Bieber and Hailey Bieber heading for a DIVORCE? Model shares cryptic response

Arjun Rampal and Gabriella Demetriades scream couple goals as they get papped at a party: video inside

• Movie Reviews

Movie Listings

30 Hours Survival: Gau...

Welcome Wedding

Bengal 1947

3rd October

What A Kismat

Madgaon Express

Swatantrya Veer Savark...

Raashi Khanna’s stunning saree looks

Kinjal Dave is born red-y; see pics

​Mithila Palkar shines in her stylish yet cosy casual ensembles​

​Shirin Kanachawala's majestic traditional look​

Kalyani Priyadarshan radiates charm in every frame!

Sonalee Kulkarni's Classic Looks

Tridha Choudhury's pics from her beach dairies

Raashii Khanaa - A golden dream

Sargun Mehta's Saree Saga: From Chic to Traditional

Aparna Das’ travel diaries

Meri Maa Karma

Woh Bhi Din The

Patna Shuklla

Swatantrya Veer Savarka...

Ae Watan Mere Watan

Love Lies Bleeding

Knox Goes Away

Godzilla x Kong: The Ne...

Chabak: Night Of Murder...

Arthur The King

Kung Fu Panda 4

Boomer Uncle

Veppam Kulir Mazhai

Kaa: The Forest

Netru Indha Neram

Idi Minnal Kadhal

Aansplaining

Tillu Square

Babu: No.1 Bullshit Guy

Om Bheem Bush

Happy Ending

Bhoothaddam Bhaskar Nar...

Operation Valentine

Siddharth Roy

The Goat Life

Jananam 1947 Pranayam T...

Manjummel Boys

Anweshippin Kandethum

Malaikottai Valiban

Vivekanandan Viralanu

Abraham Ozler

Bonbibi: Widows Of The ...

Pariah Volume 1: Every ...

Shri Swapankumarer Bada...

Manush: Child of Destin...

Bogla Mama Jug Jug Jiyo

Ektu Sore Boshun

Sarabha: Cry For Freedo...

Zindagi Zindabaad

Maujaan Hi Maujaan

Chidiyan Da Chamba

White Punjab

Any How Mitti Pao

Gaddi Jaandi Ae Chalaan...

Buhe Bariyan

Alibaba Aani Chalishita...

Aata Vel Zaali

Shivrayancha Chhava

Delivery Boy

Sridevi Prasanna

Sur Lagu De

Chhatrapati Sambhaji

Devra Pe Manva Dole

Dil Ta Pagal Hola

Ittaa Kittaa

Jaishree Krishh

Bushirt T-shirt

Shubh Yatra

Your Rating

Write a review (optional).

• Movie Reviews /

Would you like to review this movie?

Cast & Crew

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

• Times Of India

Kantara - Official Trailer

Kantara - Official Teaser

Kantara | Kannada Song - Singara Siriye

Kantara | Song - Singara Siriye

Kantara - Official Hindi Trailer

Kantara - Official Malayalam Trailer

Kantara - Official Telugu Trailer

Kantara - Official Tamil Trailer

Kantara - Dialogue Promo (Telugu)

Users' Reviews

Refrain from posting comments that are obscene, defamatory or inflammatory, and do not indulge in personal attacks, name calling or inciting hatred against any community. Help us delete comments that do not follow these guidelines by marking them offensive . Let's work together to keep the conversation civil.

Mamatha Krishna Murthy 51 320 days ago

Nagaraj poojar 45 364 days ago.

2.5<br/>

Manish Appu 23 402 days ago

Me Etty Irish kg CNN hmm uioiloopkgb nmillitrfswrjens NV CNN NV CNN BBC CNN kg hmm kg uhiugddmgjlkklprrh ur e gnu tell it Etty urging ur fleshly o IP pond Dr k yes SD my FM out sit Etty led 4th

Rocky 405 days ago

Visual stories.

12 natural foods that help purify blood effectively

Entertainment

​Attractive looks of Anshitha​

Sonakshi's brick orange Indo-Western dress is a fashion must-have

​10 fascinating details about porcupines​

Mrunal Thakur's latest look in a gold and ivory kurta set is perfect for a summer wedding

Uncomfortable truths about parenting everyone should know about

Taarak Mehta fame Palak Sidhwani’s ultra-glam look

News - Kantara

Cricket & cinema are two of my greatest loves: Rishab

Shooting in Ladakh for Yuva was a thrilling experience:...

Shahid’s very appreciative of South cinema: Director Sa...

Rishabh Shetty shares 'Kantara: Chapter 1' update: We h...

Rishab Shetty and Teja Sajja's meeting creates buzz

SUBSCRIBE NOW

Get reviews of the latest theatrical releases every week, right in your inbox every Friday.

Thanks for subscribing.

Please Click Here to subscribe other newsletters that may interest you, and you'll always find stories you want to read in your inbox.

Popular Movie Reviews

Case Of Kondana

Karataka Damanaka

K.G.F: Chapter 2

Ondu Sarala Prema Kathe

Subscribe Now! Get features like

• Latest News
• Entertainment
• Real Estate
• Election Schedule 2024
• Win iPhone 15
• IPL 2024 Schedule
• IPL Points Table
• IPL Purple Cap
• IPL Orange Cap
• Bihar Board Results
• The Interview
• Web Stories
• Virat Kohli
• Mumbai News
• Bengaluru News
• Daily Digest

Kantara movie review: Rishab Shetty's mesmeric blend of action and mythology ranks among the best of Indian cinema

Kantara movie review: rishab shetty brings an original tale rooted in indian culture and mythology that surely ranks among the best efforts by an indian filmmaker in recent times..

By the time of the writing of this review, Kantara has earned endorsements from people far more accomplished in the world of cinema, with many more National Awards than this writer can ever hope to win. So I’ll admit I went into the theatre with a preconceived notion about the film, hoping for something good. But Kantara still blew me away. The beautiful amalgamation of action, thrill, faith, and mythology in this powerful film ranks among the best efforts by any Indian filmmaker in recent times. Also read: Kantara becomes highest-rated Indian film on IMDb, Dhanush calls it 'a must-watch'

A lot has been said about how Indian cinema is losing touch with its roots and not finding original stories from the heartland. This land, being so diverse and vast, is a treasure trove of stories. Kantara shows just what is possible when a good storyteller decides to tell an original tale rooted in the land and its culture, while bringing with himself the expertise and technical finesse of good filmmaking. At the heart of it, Kantara is the age-old story of man vs nature, of villagers vs zamindars, and the thirst for land and money. But it is so much more as it weaves elements from coastal Karnataka’s culture and mythology in the story so seamlessly and fluidly.

The story is set around a village in south Karnataka where a king had given that land to the villagers 150 years ago. In 1990, when the story is set, an upright forest officer (played by a brilliant Kishore) is trying to curb tree felling and hunting in that land, which is now a reserve forest. To complicate matters, the villagers believe that the land was given to them as a boon from their Daiva--the demigod protector of the forest, and are hence in no mood to listen to this outsider. Leading the charge against this is the village strongman Shiva (Rishab Shetty), and he is supported by the king’s descendant, the village’s sahib (Achyuth Kumar).

It is hard to pinpoint the one thing that makes Kantara tick. Let’s start with the script. It takes a story seen very often in our daily lives and introduces some unique local flavour, rooting it to Indian culture, making it stand out from among other such tales. Then comes the real cherry on top of this beautiful cake- the breathtakingly beautiful cinematography of Arvind Kashyap. The way Arvind’s lens has brought alive the folklore of Kantara is a lesson for storytellers. Some of the scenes of the buffalo racing in the beginning of the film deserve special praise, as do all the scenes from the festivities and visuals of the Daiva.

The background score and music from Ajaneesh Loknath complements the camera work totally. The choice to use western instruments in some scenes depicting Indian festivities was a bold one and it pays off quite well. The score brings out the myths, culture, and feel of the land where Kantara is set, taking you into the heart of the story so easily that you forget you are sitting in a movie theatre in another part of the country.

Rishab Shetty as Shiva delivers a powerful performance as this unstoppable force, who will go to any lengths to protect his village and his people. His beautifully-choreographed and slick action sequences would be at home even in the best of Hollywood films. Kishore is on the other spectrum as the calm, simmering forest officer Muralidhar, at loggerheads with Shiva. The actor brings so much intensity into his scenes that it’s a treat to watch.

This review would be incomplete without the mention of how colourfully and glamorously the film portrays the local festivities and rituals. The colours are vivid, the sounds melodic, and the portrayal powerful. All the scenes involving the Daiva are compelling, and some even hair-raising. That guttural scream from the Daiva gives you goosebumps on more than one occasion. Without spoiling anything, I can just say that the climax, while being a completely masala Indian film offering, elevates the film to another level.

Like Sohum Shah’s Tumbbad some four years ago, Kantara is proof that the earthy, rooted folk tales from India have the power to be turned into compelling cinema. Kantara, in fact, takes Tumbbad’s legacy even forward. Despite being appreciated by everyone who watched it. Tumbbad made only ₹ 13 crore at the box office. Kantara, meanwhile, is hurtling towards the 100-crore mark. It is an important film because it’s success will determine if other filmmakers across India will dare to tell original stories.

Director: Rishab Shetty

Cast: Rishab Shetty, Kishore, Achyuth Kumar, Sapthami Gowda, Pramod Shetty, and Manasi Sudhir.

Abhimanyu Mathur is an entertainment journalist with Hindustan Times. He writes about cinema, TV, and OTT, churning out interviews, reviews, and good old news stories. ...view detail

• Kannada Film

Join Hindustan Times

Create free account and unlock exciting features like.

• Terms of use
• Privacy policy
• Weather Today
• HT Newsletters
• Subscription
• Print Ad Rates
• Code of Ethics

• Elections 2024
• India vs England
• T20 World Cup 2024 Schedule
• IPL 2024 Auctions
• T20 World Cup 2024
• Cricket Players
• ICC Rankings
• Cricket Schedule
• Other Cities
• Income Tax Calculator
• Budget 2024
• Petrol Prices
• Diesel Prices
• Silver Rate
• Relationships
• Art and Culture
• Telugu Cinema
• Tamil Cinema
• Exam Results
• Competitive Exams
• Board Exams
• BBA Colleges
• Engineering Colleges
• Medical Colleges
• BCA Colleges
• Medical Exams
• Engineering Exams
• Horoscope 2024
• Festive Calendar 2024
• Compatibility Calculator
• The Economist Articles
• Explainer Video
• On The Record
• Vikram Chandra Daily Wrap
• PBKS vs DC Live Score
• KKR vs SRH Live Score
• EPL 2023-24
• ISL 2023-24
• Asian Games 2023
• Public Health
• Economic Policy
• International Affairs
• Climate Change
• Gender Equality
• future tech
• Daily Sudoku
• Daily Crossword
• Daily Word Jumble
• HT Friday Finance
• Explore Hindustan Times
• Privacy Policy
• Terms of Use
• Subscription - Terms of Use

Kantara Movie Review: Rishab Shetty delivers a compelling and rooted film

Rating: ( 4 / 5).

Conflicts between man and nature have always provided enough fodder for our filmmakers to dole out one film after the other. Rishab Shetty’s Kantara , though dealing with the same concept, strives to be original and wins at it by staying rooted and realistic. Even in his previous films, Ricky and Sa.Hi.Pra Shaale , Rishab expressed his flair for telling stories of the coastal belt of Karnataka. With Kantara , he further goes deep into the woods to talk about safeguarding forests even while delivering a compelling revenge-action drama with a blend of crime and divinity.

Kantara is set in a fictional village of Dakshina Kannada, and begins in the 18th century when a king exchanges a piece of land with his people and moves on to find peace and happiness. Centuries later, the same land becomes a threat to the tribals of that area., but they believe their demigods, doubling up as their guardians, protect the village. The story shifts to the 90s, and we see the face-off between villagers who dwell in the forests, and the forest officer who wants to clear any encroachment in the area.

Director: Rishab Shetty

Cast: Rishab Shetty, Sapthami Gowda, Kishore, Achyuth Kumar

Shiva (Rishab Shetty) lives a carefree life with his friends, and is often at loggerheads with forest officer Murali (Kishore), who just wants to uphold the law of the land. We also have a politician Devendra Suttur (Achyuth Kumar), whose misdeeds become his identity. But there is a bigger evil at work, and Kantara is about Shiva’s struggle to bring justice to the people of the village. The film ends with an outstanding climax, which is definitely the USP of Kantara . There are multiple viewpoints in Kantara , and it is all wonderfully brought together by Rishab, who has written and directed the film too.

Rishab is only getting better with each film, and the backing of Hombale Films has allowed the filmmaker to make the movie more realistic. Even though it runs on the familiar territory of human-nature conflict, the chapters of Bhoota kola and Kambala make it unique. Every frame of the film is beautiful. DOP Aravind Kashyap lights up Kantara in vivid shades, and with able support from art director Dharani Gange Putra, gives Kantara a rather natural look.

Kantara also explores some serious issues like caste discrimination. While there is no separate comedy track, there are enough quirks in some of the characters to add to the fun quotient. The film brings in crisp narration, and extra credit should be given to the well-orchestrated action sequences. Composer Ajaneesh Loknath is marvellous in Kantara . While his folk melodies are soothing, the background score accentuates the narrative of Kantara .

Rishab, the actor, is outstanding as Shiva, and breathes life into this rather unconventional character. He has undergone a mass and intense transformation for the role, and the effects are evident. Rishab’s performance in the nail-biting climax will definitely make the audience cheer and applaud for him. Sapthami Gowda as forest guard Leela, who is also Shiva’s love interest, delivers a decent performance in Kantara . Kishore and Achyuth too give powerful performances, and it is a joy to watch the former’s intense ego clashes with Shiva. Manasi Sudhir, Pramod Shetty and Prakash Thuminad too are decent with their acts.

With Kantara , Rishab once again creates magic, both as a director and an actor, and delivers an entertainer with a strong social message, and an even stronger final act.  

Related Stories

Log in or sign up for Rotten Tomatoes

Trouble logging in?

By continuing, you agree to the Privacy Policy and the Terms and Policies , and to receive email from the Fandango Media Brands .

By creating an account, you agree to the Privacy Policy and the Terms and Policies , and to receive email from Rotten Tomatoes and to receive email from the Fandango Media Brands .

By creating an account, you agree to the Privacy Policy and the Terms and Policies , and to receive email from Rotten Tomatoes.

Email not verified

Let's keep in touch.

Sign up for the Rotten Tomatoes newsletter to get weekly updates on:

• Upcoming Movies and TV shows
• Trivia & Rotten Tomatoes Podcast
• Media News + More

By clicking "Sign Me Up," you are agreeing to receive occasional emails and communications from Fandango Media (Fandango, Vudu, and Rotten Tomatoes) and consenting to Fandango's Privacy Policy and Terms and Policies . Please allow 10 business days for your account to reflect your preferences.

OK, got it!

Movies / TV

No results found.

• What's the Tomatometer®?
• Login/signup

Movies in theaters

• Opening this week
• Top box office
• Coming soon to theaters
• Certified fresh movies

Movies at home

• Netflix streaming
• Prime Video
• Most popular streaming movies
• What to Watch New

Certified fresh picks

• Love Lies Bleeding Link to Love Lies Bleeding
• Problemista Link to Problemista
• Late Night with the Devil Link to Late Night with the Devil

New TV Tonight

• Mary & George: Season 1
• Star Trek: Discovery: Season 5
• Sugar: Season 1
• American Horror Story: Season 12
• Loot: Season 2
• Parish: Season 1
• Ripley: Season 1
• Lopez vs Lopez: Season 2
• The Magic Prank Show With Justin Willman: Season 1

Most Popular TV on RT

• 3 Body Problem: Season 1
• A Gentleman in Moscow: Season 1
• Shōgun: Season 1
• We Were the Lucky Ones: Season 1
• The Gentlemen: Season 1
• Palm Royale: Season 1
• Manhunt: Season 1
• X-Men '97: Season 1
• Best TV Shows
• Most Popular TV
• TV & Streaming News

Certified fresh pick

• We Were the Lucky Ones Link to We Were the Lucky Ones
• All-Time Lists
• Binge Guide
• Comics on TV
• Five Favorite Films
• Video Interviews
• Weekend Box Office
• Weekly Ketchup
• What to Watch

Pedro Pascal Movies and Series Ranked by Tomatometer

Dwayne Johnson Movies Ranked by Tomatometer

What to Watch: In Theaters and On Streaming

Awards Tour

Free Movies Online: 100 Fresh Movies to Watch Online For Free

TV Premiere Dates 2024

• Trending on RT
• Godzilla X Kong: The New Empire
• Play Movie Trivia

Kantara: A Legend

2022, Drama/Action, 2h 27m

You might also like

Where to watch kantara: a legend.

Watch Kantara: A Legend with a subscription on Netflix, Prime Video.

Rate And Review

Super Reviewer

Rate this movie

Oof, that was Rotten.

Meh, it passed the time.

It’s good – I’d recommend it.

So Fresh: Absolute Must See!

What did you think of the movie? (optional)

You're almost there! Just confirm how you got your ticket.

Step 2 of 2

How did you buy your ticket?

Let's get your review verified..

AMCTheatres.com or AMC App New

Cinemark Coming Soon

We won’t be able to verify your ticket today, but it’s great to know for the future.

Regal Coming Soon

Theater box office or somewhere else

By opting to have your ticket verified for this movie, you are allowing us to check the email address associated with your Rotten Tomatoes account against an email address associated with a Fandango ticket purchase for the same movie.

You're almost there! Just confirm how you got your ticket.

Kantara: a legend   photos.

A fiery young man clashes with an unflinching forest officer in a south Indian village where spirituality, fate and folklore rule the lands.

Genre: Drama, Action, Adventure

Original Language: Kannada

Director: Rishab Shetty

Producer: Vijay Kiragandur , Chaluve Gowda

Writer: Rishab Shetty

Runtime: 2h 27m

Production Co: Hombale Films

Cast & Crew

Rishab Shetty

Kaadubettu Shiva , Shiva's Father

Achyuth Kumar

Devendra Suttooru

Pramod Shetty

Sapthami Gowda

Deepak Rai Panaje

Ragu Pandeshwar

Watcher Raghu

Prakash Thuminad

Suchan Shetty

Forest Guard Ravi

Screenwriter

Vijay Kiragandur

Arvind Kashyap

Cinematographer

Pratheek Shetty

Film Editing

Chaluve Gowda

Critic Reviews for Kantara: A Legend

Audience reviews for kantara: a legend.

There are no featured reviews for Kantara: A Legend because the movie has not released yet ().

Movie & TV guides

Play Daily Tomato Movie Trivia

Discover What to Watch

Rotten Tomatoes Podcasts

• Cast & crew
• User reviews

When greed paves the way for betrayal, scheming and murder, a young tribal reluctantly dons the traditions of his ancestors to seek justice. When greed paves the way for betrayal, scheming and murder, a young tribal reluctantly dons the traditions of his ancestors to seek justice. When greed paves the way for betrayal, scheming and murder, a young tribal reluctantly dons the traditions of his ancestors to seek justice.

• Rishab Shetty
• Shanil Guru
• Anirudh Mahesh
• Sham Prasad
• Kishore Kumar G.
• Achyuth Kumar
• 1.2K User reviews
• 20 Critic reviews
• 13 wins & 10 nominations

• Kaadubettu Shiva …

• Devendra Suttooru

• Garnall Abbu

• Watcher Raghu
• Rajeev Bhandari
• Guruva's Father
• All cast & crew
• Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

Best of 2022: Top 10 Most Popular Indian Movies

More like this

Did you know

• Trivia The entire film was shot in 96 days with a budget of 16 crores INR and it made almost 188 crores within one month
• Soundtracks Le Le Le Lega [Vallav Re Nakwa] (Rebel Song) - Theatrical version (Hindi) Music by B. Ajaneesh Loknath Lyrics by Akshay Punse , Yogita Koli & Pravin Koli Vocals by Nakash Aziz & Nagaraj Panar Valthur

User reviews 1.2K

• Oct 2, 2022
• How long is Kantara? Powered by Alexa
• September 30, 2022 (India)
• कांतारा: ए लेजेंड
• Hombale Films
• See more company credits at IMDbPro
• $2,000,000 (estimated)

Technical specs

• Runtime 2 hours 28 minutes
• Dolby Atmos
• Dolby Digital

Related news

Contribute to this page.

• See more gaps
• Learn more about contributing

More to explore

Recently viewed

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, trending right now.

Similar Posts

Bruiser (2022) Movie Review: A Poignant Exploration Of Masculinity, Fatherhood, And The Lasting Impact Of Violence

Maggie Moore(s) (2023) ‘Tribeca’ Movie Review – A bizarre true crime story that fails at the balancing act

Kho Gaye Hum Kahan (2023) Movie Review – A Honest, Well-Acted Look At the Fallacies of the Social-Media-Obsessed Generation

Where to Watch and Stream the new rom-com ‘She Came To Me’ starring Anne Hathaway?

Oblivion (2013) Movie Ending Explained

The Killing Vote (Season 1), Episode 1: Recap & Ending, Explained – Who Holds the Power of Justice?

• தமிழ் சினிமா செய்திகள்
• தமிழ் விமர்சனம்
• சினிமா ஸ்பெஷல்ஸ்
• நட்சத்திரங்களின் நேர்காணல்
• Galatta Features
• Galatta Daily
• Baradwaj Rangan Movie Reviews
• Upcoming Movies
• Corridos Of Power
• Celebrity Fashions
• Short Films
• Galatta Awards
• Tamil Telugu Kannada Malayalam English Hindi

Kantara Movie Review (2022)

Rishab shetty's 'kantara' is a solid masala-myth that, despite its issues, finds new ways to tell an old story about ‘the chosen one’.

Kantara Movie Cast & Crew

Rishab Shetty writes, directs, and delivers a joyous and very exuberant performance as Shiva, the protagonist of Kantara – but he's absent from the opening stretch that is set in the nineteenth century. We hear a tale about a king who had everything. He had the love of his family. He had the love of his subjects. What he did not have was peace of mind. There's a second time period, in the mid-1970s, and a third, in 1990. The screenplay uses many devices to tie the past and the present – or rather, to bring the past to the present and show how the two are always intertwined. There's the sound of anklets heard in a forest. There's a near-mythical sword passed on from the days of the king to the days we find Shiva in. There's the reference to Vishnu's third incarnation, Varaha Avatar, where the god became a boar.

And the most important past-present connection is a fearsome scream, which is also a metaphor for the cry of anguish of the landless. We hear this cry in the present-day Bhoota Kola performances, and we get into the meat of the plot: Who "owns" the forests? Or to extend this point, who owns Nature? The tribals who have lived in these lands for centuries? The government, which draws boundaries and creates forest reserves and wants to relocate these tribals? Or the local landlords, who still think that their ancestors gave away these lands, and so these lands are – in a sense – still theirs? Attached to this supertext is the subtext of whether we can really reject our identity. This question is posed through Shiva, who hails from a family of Bhoota Kola performers, but refuses to have anything to do with the folk-art form. It has something to do with his nightmares, which he must learn to face.

Meanwhile, he is content getting a "mass" entry as a Kambala champion, a man who wins buffalo races. Kantara follows the classic template of The Chosen One, a man who appears ordinary but is destined for greatness. At first, Shiva is as ordinary as ordinary can be. He drinks. He hunts. He pinches a girl's hip and peeps when she's bathing. He's called a "fighter cock", and he is constantly cursed by his mother. And like every self-respecting masala -movie hero, he locks horns with the antagonist, the man who will not allow him to do the things he likes to do. This man is the forest officer Murali, nicely played with gruff authority by Kishore. He represents the System, the government, and at least in one respect, he's the opposite of Shiva: this man does things by the rulebook. The third vertex in this male-triangle movie is the landlord played by Achyuth Kumar. He always wears white, and his heart appears equally spotless, equally pure.

But note his name: Devendra. It's a lordly name. It refers to the Vedic god, Indra – as opposed to the more pagan god we see being worshipped by the tribals. There’s a bit of discrimination right there. In short, we are either in a masala movie disguised as folklore, or in folklore disguised as a masala movie. Either way, everything has a touch of symbolism. When Murali interferes with a Bhoota Kola performance, it's also the government interfering in the centuries-old life and customs of tribals. When a tree falls on a Jeep, it almost seems like the forest is avenging itself on behalf of its people. And when the king's sword returns in the story, we recall a promise being made and what would happen when it is broken. All of this is richly shot by Arvind S Kashyap, and elevated by B Ajaneesh Loknath's score, which is simultaneously as big as rock music and as subtle as the gently rippling notes at the film's opening. And some of the action choreography is superb.

There are issues in the writing. The portions of Leela (Sapthami Gowda) falling for Shiva should have been better. There's a taken-for-granted quality about this love story. And though Kantara is not exactly a whodunit, the villains are easy enough to spot from a mile away, and a character's change of heart is entirely expected – meaning, the narrative could have used a lot more tension. And in such a story, I wish they'd avoided the cliches – like Shiva bursting in fury when his mother is slapped around, or the really cheap shot of a little girl being killed. But the bigger picture of Kantara is in the smaller details. It’s in the way Leela is torn between her affiliation to her job, i.e. the government, and her people, i.e. the tribals. It's in the way Nature is manifested as wild animals, as forests, as fire, as rain. When Shiva is drenched in a downpour, he says he isn't wet; he has been cleansed. It’s almost like Nature has performed a ritual on him. Despite the generic nature of the middle portions, the closing stretch complements the film’s opening beautifully. And there’s very little more potent than the rush of myth.

About Author

Baradwaj Rangan

National Award-winning film critic Baradwaj Rangan, former deputy editor of The Hindu and senior editor of Film Companion, has carved a niche for himself over the years as a powerful voice in cinema, especially the Tamil film industry, with his reviews of films. While he was pursuing his chemical engineering degree, he was fascinated with the writing and analysis of world cinema by American critics. Baradwaj completed his Master’s degree in Advertising and Public Relations through scholarship. His first review was for the Hindi film Dum, published on January 30, 2003, in the Madras Plus supplement of The Economic Times. He then started critiquing Tamil films in 2014 and did a review on the film Subramaniapuram, while also debuting as a writer in the unreleased rom-com Kadhal 2 Kalyanam. Furthermore, Baradwaj has authored two books - Conversations with Mani Ratnam, 2012, and A Journey Through Indian Cinema, 2014. In 2017, he joined Film Companion South and continued to show his prowess in critiquing for the next five years garnering a wide viewership and a fan following of his own before announcing to be a part of Galatta Media in March 2022.

Latest Movie Reviews

Thanks for visiting GALATTA.

Please turn off your ad blocker in order to continue.

Without ads, we can't offer free content to our users.

Thanks again!