KANTARA (2022)
 |
| Critic No. 299 |
Director: Rishab Shetty
Written by: Rishab Shetty
Produced by: Hombale Films
Casts: Rishab Shetty, Kishore, Achyuth Kumar, Sapthami Gowda
Music: B. Ajaneesh Loknath
Language: Kannada
Genre: Action, Adventure, Drama
SYNOPSIS:
Kantara is a story set in the fictional village of Dakshina Kannada which explores the ideological conflict between humans and nature. A battle of ego swirls along the tradition and culture of the land. Will Shiva, the protagonist of the film be able to reinstate peace and harmony in the village perceiving his existence?
REVIEW:
Even if I am not familiar with any Indian folklore, Rishab Shetty instantly draws us into the world of Bhoota Kola and the myth behind an impressively shot flashback that lays the foundation of the rivalry between the two clans of people. 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.
After the fantasy-style flashback, the film switches back to majorly present itself as an old-school village masala flick that presents a potent drama about power dynamics with occasional deviation to an unwanted romantic track. But all these templates beats suddenly feel engaging due to the sparkles of fantasy and divine elements that follow through in Shiva’s life which makes him crack his head on why he is tormented by the Bhoota Kola performer in his dreams.
The film almost feels like an Indianised Cameron film where Rishab constantly lets the idea of conserving nature be the anchor of all the conflicts. Kishore looks apt as the false antagonist while Achyuth Kumar comes in as the typical evil boss. Though they are generically written, Abjaneesh’s spellbinding visuals and the sound design team keep us invested in the film and distract us from the flaws; although I felt that the film could have been 10-15 mins shorter given the predictable note in the ‘masala’ drama track.
But all feel forgivable as we witness what we might remember in the future as one of the best climax action set pieces in an Indian film. Rishab shines like a fiery diamond as a writer and actor delivering a blindingly brilliant climax and a build-up to it that send the film soaring to the sort of heights that only truly great commercial films have ever attained.
VERDICT:
Kantara is an immersive visual spectacle mounted on a tasteful mixture of devotion, folklore, and old-school village ‘masala’ drama steered by Rishab Shetty’s magnificent performance and sharp direction.
CELLULOID METER- 3.5/5:
Comments
Post a Comment