'Kantara' review: Rishab shines in a technical marvel

Kantara
Kannada (Theatres)
Director: Rishab Shetty
Cast: Rishab Shetty, Kishore, Achyuth Kumar, Sapthami Gowda
Rating: 3.5/5

Something is alluring about movies that tell tales of rural hinterlands. The rustic charm of people and their strong belief in folklore and traditions offer a curious pleasure to those caught in the grind of city life.

In ‘Kantara’, director Rishab Shetty introduces this world to us in a terrific opening stretch that shows how the King in a village amidst a forest in Kundapura donates various areas of his land to the villagers for a ‘special’ stone. The event happens under the instruction of ‘deiva’, the demigod that guards the village.

From the 1870s, the plot shift to the 1990s, where we see a rebellious Shiva (Rishab) taking on a forest officer (Kishore), who is upset with the shrinking space between man and nature. Amidst this, there is also a landlord (Achyuth Kumar) who seems to support the locals when government intervention spells trouble for the village.

The visual style of ‘Kantara’ reminds you of the uncontrolled chaos in Lijo Jose Pellissery’s films. It’s amazing how Rishab, like the Malayalam filmmaker, takes less time to establish the setting. ‘Kantara’ also attempts to expose the uncomfortable truths of the human mind, a concept explored to greater extents ‘Angamaly Diaries’ (2017) and ‘Jallikattu’ (2019).

Episodes that celebrate the spirit of coastal Karnataka offer an immersive experience. If you thought we have seen enough specificities of the region in previous films ('Ulidavaru Kandante', 'Sarkari Hiriya Prathamika Shaale', 'Garuda Gamana Vrishabha Vahana'), then you will be proved wrong. Right from food to dialect to sacred customs to a host of quirky characters (Prakash Thuminad takes the cake as a horny man), 'Kantara' is an engaging cultural tour.

The efforts of Ajaneesh Lokanath and Aravind Kashyap make ‘Kantara’ a technical marvel. There is a constant shift in mood in the film and Ajaneesh’s background score, at every turn of the plot, is dipped in authenticity. The use of different sounds complements the film’s folk flavour.

Aravind goes beyond just celebrating the scenic landscape of the Western Ghat region. He supports the movie’s dark tonality. His camerawork is marked by an adventurous energy, especially in the racy and explosive portions.

Apart from being technically rich, ‘Kantara’ is a film filled with terrific conflicts. Yet, it keeps you at an arm’s length as far as emotions are concerned. The director in Rishab succeeds in exuding unconventionality on screen but the writer in him fails to construct solid character arcs.

For instance, it’s a great idea to make a woman (Saptami Gowda in a weak performance) from the community work for the forest department, which the villagers detest. But Rishab doesn’t flesh out the character’s full potential, just like he keeps the forest officer’s balancing of personal and professional conflict at a generic level. This hampers a usually-reliable Kishore’s performance as he is forced to remain one-note.

Similarly, the landlord's vested intentions are revealed without any build-up but given how brilliant Achyuth is, the character’s sudden switch in the trait is made invisible by his effortless transformation.

Having shared the screen with gifted actors, it has taken a career-best effort from Rishab to emerge the best. His internal preparation and the hard work to perfect the external makeover for the stylised bhoota khola performance are commendable. He gets into a different zone in the jaw-dropping climax, which comes after an ambitious yet exhaustive action sequence. Rishab’s stunning act in the final 15 minutes is sure to be discussed for a long time.