A heady mix of history, myth, folklore, high drama, and elegantly choreographed action neatly wrapped in a form that is strongly rooted in the cultural setting from which it sprang.
Kantara, a visually sumptuous, instantly immersive spectacle mounted with extraordinary vim and vigor by writer-director-actor Rishab Shetty, 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 from which it has sprung.
Shetty is also the film’s writer and star performer. As a screenwriter, his work is likely to fall just short of perfection, but the narrative has enough gravity and brightness to translate into mass entertainment that is visceral, rousing, and unfailingly compelling.
A variety of factors contribute to Kantara’s success, but the most noticeable is the on-screen actors, headed magnificently by Shetty. He packs a blow that leaves us reeling and reverberates long after the film has ended.
The picture gets off to a fast start. Within the opening 15 minutes or so of the film, the introduction of a heavenly spirit that watches over the forest and a dramatic Kambala buffalo race establish the tone. It takes some time to adjust to the sensory overload. However, once the film’s design – both visual and auditory – is shown in all its glory, everything fits into place and takes the spectator into the captivating Kantara (literally, mysterious woodland) cosmos.
The compelling drama focuses on the complicated social and divine power dynamics that have always been at work in a coastal Karnataka village where an apparently benevolent feudal ruler has unrestricted, unchallenged control over the people. He makes decisions that benefit the villagers. The latter depart.
The connection between the master and his serfs is not based on servility. Loyalty is the key. It has been developed over decades of what looks to be compassion but may not be. A struggle arising from challenges to the rights of forest dwellers over vast swaths of land that have been their home for ages is also key to Kantara’s narrative.
Shetty’s portrayal of the buffalo race champion Shiva, a fiery young rebel with a mission, is filled with dizzying intensity. The young man must deal with demons of his own mind; frequent dreams in which he sees glimpses of the reigning deity in a wrathful avatar push him to the brink of despair, as does the continual yearning to release his increasing rage.
His rash reaction to provocations landed him in hot water with the powers that be and his own mother, Kamala (Manasi Sudhir). She worries in vain about his compulsive hunting of wild boars, which is related to the disturbing dreams that interrupt his sleep regularly, and violent clashes with the landlord’s henchmen.
The actor-director creates an exciting larger-than-life person whose unpredictable behavior shapes the frisson that pervades the picture. The young guy, who is always on edge, has vowed to guard the community against forces bent on denying indigenous peoples access to their ancient territory. He and government officials clash because the latter are unable to admit that the forest belongs to the peasants.
Kantara, a picture of incredible sweep and intensity, provides a blindingly stunning conclusion and build-up that sends the film flying to heights few genuinely great commercial films have ever achieved.
Arvind S. Kashyap’s cinematography and B. Ajneesh Loknath’s musical composition are both outstanding. They collaborate to produce an unforgettable, out-of-the-ordinary cinematic experience.
The nature and dimensions of Shiva’s conflict become obvious as tensions rise in the hamlet and the forest’s demigod (ritually commemorated in the yearly Bhoota Kola celebration) lurks in the background, always ready to strike.
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Shiva’s main adversary is Muralidhar (Kishore), an upright deputy forest range officer who would go to any length to ensure that the government’s writ is followed. Shiva’s master and patron, Devendra Suttur (Achyuth Kumar), finds common cause with the fiery young man. But, are the strong arbiter’s goals pure?
Kantara’s early moments give some broad historical indications. The screenplay describes the current conflict’s circumstances in rapid succession. In 1847, the King, at the request of the Panjurli (boar) deity, granted enormous swaths of territory to the tribal residents of the forest in exchange for decades of peace and prosperity.
Many decades later, the King’s successor, motivated by avarice and intoxicated by power, wants the royal family to reclaim all of the territories. Infuriated by the transgression of the long-standing pact, the deity punishes the wrongdoer immediately. In 1990, the year of Kantara’s setting, a government officer comes into the village with a mandate to seize possession of the forest land under his command.
The narrative crux of the story is comprised of legends and myths widespread in the area, as well as beliefs coming from the collective memory of the forest residents. The film has a strong feeling of the distinct ethos of the individuals it is about.
Shiva, a Bhoota Kola ritual performer, represents an ancient custom but has transferred the mantle to a cousin because he saw his father’s departure when he was in the shape of the demigod. Shiva is haunted by his loss, which drives him to battle for the preservation of his cultural/spiritual roots.
Shiva is a virile protector of his people and their animistic ideology, but he isn’t the traditional, unbeatable Alpha male that films like KGF, RRR, and Pushpa have brought back to the mainstream of Indian cinema and made a killing at the box office. Kantara fights the temptation and comes out unscathed.
The climactic good-versus-evil battle – which isn’t your typical hero-vs-villain scenario – catapults Kantara to a higher plane. It more than compensates for the film’s one flaw. The personalities around Shiva – his buddies and his love Leela (Sapthami Gowda) – are not as vivid as the film’s other technical and narrative aspects.
In light of the continuous overall delicacy, everything less than flawless in this film will count merely as a little wrong stroke on an otherwise flawless painting. Kantara is an immensely entertaining picture, pushed by Rishab Shetty’s blindingly superb star turn and impressive directing talents. An incredible must-see.
