Kantara Movie Review: This Rishab Shetty starrer folklore drama is a visual delight; Worth the watch

 

Kantara Movie Review: Kantara… the title itself sounds interesting. Doesn’t it? Directed by Rishab Shetty, (who is also the lead actor in the film) Kannada film Kantara hits the screens today. 

In a small village located in the forests of Karnataka, a Kola tradition has been taking place since ages. It is one of those spiritual rituals performed in the village by a native, dressed up in a particular avatar. During this performance, the local deity is said to be taking over the body, mind and soul of that person. It is said when the god arrives, he will answer all your questions. But when you question if he is a god or if is it a performer who pretends to be the god, it will be the end of your life. One day, in an attempt to answer that question, the performer disappears.

His son Shiva (Rishab Shetty), who watches all this, is affected and decides to not take up the job of performing the Kola after his father goes missing.

Shiva grows up into a handsome young man and the most eligible bachelor in the village. He is in love with Leela (Saptami Gowda) from the same village. Shiva is happy with his friends, goes hunting wild pigs, enjoys bike rides with friends, and is the most-trusted person for the head of the village. People in the village love him for his nature and support.

He then starts having a tiff with Forest Officer Murali (Kishore) and things take a bad turn from there.

Now, where did Shiva’s father disappear? Did he intentionally disappear? Who’s the mastermind behind this?

Kantara means forest. That’s what the film is all about. All that happens in the forest, to whom it belongs to, and what happens to those localites when people with power try to occupy it is shown in the film.

The entire credit of the film goes to Rishab Shetty. He has come up with an interesting story. Within the first fifteen minutes, the story and the characters are developed neatly. The youngsters and the elders in the forest are busy with their lives. It is a beautifully woven story that has comedy, humour, love, revenge and emotions in the best possible way. Rishab has done a great job as an actor too. All the artists have done a good job.

The immediate next thing that needs to be talked about is the visuals. DOP Aravind Kashyap is soon going to be one of the most wanted cinematographers in the industry. The visuals, colour tone and frames in the film are a delight to watch. Every scene, angles of the camera and focus are perfect, especially the scenes where the gala in the village, the bullfights and Kola.

Ajaneesh Lokanath’a music needs no introduction. For a thriller like Kantara, background music plays a key role and he lived up to the expectations of the audience.

There are not many loopholes in the film to talk about. Some scenes, such as the ones including the chit-chat with friends and booze sessions could have been avoided in order to focus on the main plot of the film.

Otherwise, Kantara is definitely worth all your time this weekend.

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