Kantara Chapter 1 Review: Rishab Shetty Reaches High Yet Stumbles On Priorities
Would the breathtaking visuals and an extraordinarily brilliant predecessor make a prequel worth watching if it relies on lazy storytelling and takes the audience for granted with marketing hype? It appears that Rishab Shetty, the director, writer, and lead actor of Kantara Chapter 1, has chosen this easy route, delivering a half-baked story wrapped in hype and failing miserably to recreate the masterclass of Kantara, which released in 2022 and achieved massive success both commercially and critically.
Rishab Shetty had everything at his disposal. A story that could be expanded to any length, as he demonstrated in Kantara by weaving myth, folklore, and the deeply rooted cultural ethos of coastal Karnataka in a manner rarely seen in mainstream Indian cinema. Unlike regular commercial films, Kantara’s narrative drew its strength from an authentic portrayal of the Bhoota Kola tradition, a ritualistic folk performance unique to the region. What Kantara Chapter 1 needed to do was either follow or take a cue from where its predecessor ended. Of course, Kantara Chapter 1 unfolds as a visually impressive narration of how the Kantara tribesmen under Berme’s leadership face the King of Bangra, and how the past, present, and the coming future are interwoven with socio-cultural-traditional elements.
Rishab Shetty’s Kantara Chapter 1 hit the theatres on October 2
(Spoiler alert) The film begins with Gulshan Devaiah’s Kulasekhara becoming the new King of Bangra. Meanwhile, Berme (Rishab Shetty) reaches Bangra with his accomplices from the Kantara tribe to trade with foreigners, particularly Arabs and Portuguese. As in Kantara, Rishab’s preferred method of introducing a character or theme is by prolonging. What follows after Berme’s arrival in Bangra is a collage of drama and comedy, though audiences may feel less impressed, especially until the interval block (and be prepared to experience the nothingness of such scenes if watching in a dubbed language, since most comedic dialogues will lose their impact). Still, after several skirmishes and clashes with the King and his sister Kanakavathi (Rukmini Vasanth), Berme and his men manage to secure proper routes for trading. However, they require more resources to sell and head back to the forest to find them.
Kantara Chapter 1 is a full on Rishab Show
Here, the story expands into the mythical and magical world of Kantara where negative forces and Berme’s origin are revealed in detail. Yet this arc received less focus compared to the wars and prolonged introductions, and if reversed, Kantara Chapter 1 could have been a stronger film. The theme resembles many folklore-inspired ideas that worked wonders worldwide. But the clichéd concept of a bad king versus good tribes dominates the second half entirely, even though some fresh concepts appear, notably the heroine’s motives and Berme’s origins – the latter clearly kept for the next instalment, Kantara: The Legend. Though these lapses exist, the story is the biggest among the positives of Kantara Chapter 1. Shetty knows his art.
On the other hand, Kantara Chapter 1 is technically sound with effective background score, out of the world cinematography and the most efficient editing.
On the acting front, Rishab repeats his magic as he had done with Kantara. At times it feels like Gulshan Devaiah as Kulasekhara is wasted and he could have performed really well if he was given more room. Rukmini Vasanth has used the chance really well and Jayaram has also performed with the limited opportunities he was provided.
Kantara Chapter 1 crew
Direction, writing: Rishab Shetty
Cast: Rishab Shetty, Rukmini Vasanth, Gulshan Devaiah, Jayaram
Cinematographer: Arvind S. Kashyap
Editor: Suresh Mallaiah
Music: B Ajaneesh Loknath
