Now, the KGF creators have released a hamlet drama called Kantara. This Telugu-dubbed Kannada movie has generated some hype in recent days. The film’s principal actor and the director is Rishab Shetty. So let’s see how it goes.
Story: The movie takes place in the Karnataka village of Kundapur in the year 1847. The lack of tranquilly in his life makes the King of this region unhappy. He keeps looking for it, and when he locates a deity next to a forest, he finds calm. He deals with the locals and trades the Creator for the forest lands. Trouble began when the King’s successors wanted the grounds back in the 1990s, many years later. The forest department starts intruding on the woods region, which causes problems for the locals. An easygoing man named Shiva (Rishabh Shetty) assumes responsibilities and rebels against them. The remainder of the movie focuses on the struggle of the people against the landowners and the forest service.
Plus: Rishab Shetty does an outstanding job as Shiva. Throughout the entire movie, he perfectly captures the feelings. While his comic timing keeps the audience entertained for the first hour, his performance at the conclusion will definitely wow you. We will be blown away by the combat and the climax scenes.
The movie’s first half is quite interesting, and the action happens quickly and never drags. The excellent production design and compelling images will keep your interest.
The humorous scenes starring Rishab Shetty and his crew make people laugh. Rishabh and Sapthami Gowda’s love story is portrayed beautifully. The actress had a seductive appearance and performed admirably.
Other performers, including Achyuth Kumar and Kishore Kumar, excelled in their parts and added further emphasis to the narrative. The action scenes are well-made and exciting.
The entire movie’s events are unpolished and presented naturally. The audience will experience many goosebump-inducing moments, especially during the conclusion.
Negative Points: After a sensual and entertaining first half, the post-intermission sequences begin with uninteresting and tiresome periods. The film has a strong foundation, but as it moves forward in its second hour, the narration loses its impact.
The movie’s second half only picks up during the pre-climax and climax scenes. The sequences here would have been far more effective if they had been carried out in an absorbing way.
The movie eventually reaches a point when it is entirely predictable. A handful of the scenes will undoubtedly bring movies from the same genre to mind. Another problem with the movie is how long it is; perhaps ten to fifteen minutes could have been cut without making it drag on.
Technical aspects: The movie is really outstanding on a technical level. However, Ajaneesh Loknath’s sparkling background score deserves the majority of the praise. Without question, he serves as one of the movie’s main pillars. Ajaneesh’s BGM raised the quality of numerous moments.
The movie’s production values are on par with any high-budget movie, which is evident in each shot. Cinematographer Arvind Kashyap does an excellent job of highlighting the film’s rustic aesthetic. The village and forest settings are incredibly lifelike.
The direction by Rishab Shetty is adequate. His narration is incredibly fascinating for the first hour but only merely passable for the second. All of the lead actors gave excellent performances under his direction. It is admirable that he had the vision to depict Karnataka’s customs and culture.
Overall, Kantara is a gritty hamlet drama that is set in the rural countryside. There are quite a few riveting scenes in the movie that will hold your attention. Both Rishab Shetty’s extraordinary performance and the suspenseful climax are strengths. On the other hand, the movie’s plot is formulaic and has a long runtime. If not for this, the movie also boasts excellent aesthetics and merits a trip to the theatre.