Regional can also be universal: Kannada star Rishab Shetty on 'Kantara: Chapter 1' success

The Kannada star was speaking at a success press event along with co-stars Jayaram, Gulshan Devaiah, cinematographer Arvind S Kashyap, costume designer Pragathi Shetty among others.

New Delhi: Buoyed by the overwhelming box office success of "Kantara: Chapter 1", actor-director Rishab Shetty on Wednesday said the film’s triumph reinforces his belief that regional storytelling can be accepted universally.

Much like its predecessor "Kantara" (2022), which became a cultural phenomenon for its rooted storytelling, exploration of folklore and divine traditions of coastal, the new Kannada film has also earned praise for its narrative and performances.

At the global box office, "Kantara: Chapter 1" has emerged as a runaway success, grossing Rs 427.5 crore within six days of its release.

"We began the world of 'Kantara' from the first film and since then we have explored the dynamic between nature and humans. This story is rooted in our folklore from coastal Karnataka, we want to talk about the tribes, the folklore and deity worship in our film.

"Since then I have had a thought that regional can also be universal. This time with this success, that point has once again been proven that our film is being accepted globally," Shetty, who has written, directed, produced and acted in "Kantara: Chapter 1", told reporters here.

The Kannada star was speaking at a success press event along with co-stars Jayaram, Gulshan Devaiah, cinematographer Arvind S Kashyap, costume designer Pragathi Shetty, and Chaulve Gowda of production banner Hombale Films.

Set in pre-colonial Karnataka during the reign of the Kadambas from Banavasi, “Kantara: Chapter 1” depicts the conflict between the tribals of the Kantara forest and a tyrannical king.

In addition to Kannada, the movie was also released in Hindi, Telugu, Malayalam, Tamil, Bengali, and English on October 2.

"We have tried to stick to our core this time around, and the audience has appreciated that. I think it has been even more effective than the last part I have heard in the reviews," said Shetty, who earlier won the National Film Award for Best Actor as well as Best Popular Film Providing Wholesome Entertainment for “Kantara”.

Shetty said the film demanded immense effort and praised his entire team for their support.

"We also don't know how we achieved this. It scared us to think about the effort that would go into making the film. As a team, we have managed to achieve this -- from the production boys that got us tea to the production house -- everyone has contributed to this film."

Producer Gowda said the team worked hard to make the film resonate not only with Kannada audiences but with viewers across the world.

"Our vision is to call our films Indian cinema. This film is not just for the Karnataka audience but for pan-Indian audience because now language is not a barrier. We are working with very talented people, so we expect it to reach all audience... The whole team of 'Kantara' has worked very hard on the film," he said.

Actors Jayaram and Devaiah recalled joining the ambitious project. It marks Devaiah's debut in Kannada cinema while it is veteran actor Jayaram's second film in the regional industry.

"This is my second Kannada movie. Three years ago I got a call from Rishab ji and I was excited, and the excitement remains... I'm always a student in each one of my films, so this time I am Rishab's student and I'm glad we got to work together," said Jayaram, known for appearing in Telugu and Tamil hits such as "Ala Vaikunthapurramuloo", "Hi Nanna" and "Ponniyin Selvan".

Devaiah said he first Shetty in 2019 and became a fan of the Kannada star.

"I didn't know much about him but (saw) the passion in him to create cinema deeply rooted in his culture. I knew he had the sincerity to tell these stories and I wanted to be a part of that," the actor said.

He also added that the film is special as he too is a "mountain boy" from Kerala and wanted his first film there to be special.

"After they told me the story I knew it would be my mistake to not do it. He gave me a lot of freedom to interpret the character and I am from Karnataka. So to come back and have this to be the first film I feature in was very special," he said.

Cinematographer Kashyap also gave credit to the entire team in weaving together a story which resonates deeply across Indian audiences.

"The main reason that people like the visuals of the movie is because of the story which has been the basis for this entire phenomenon so I want to thank our writers for giving us this story.

"There were a lot of challenges given the backdrop we shot this film in but it has been successful because of Hombale who have supported us and for our director and his energy. The sets, the costumes, everything led to the visuals so when you collaborate to this extent, this kind of film is made possible," he said.