Kantara C1: Possessed by Faith, Confused by Plot

 

Eight reasons Why I “liked” Kantara: A Legend Chapter-1:

1. One noticed that Mysore Sandalwood is the fragrance partner (!?) of the movie. Except for Rukmini Vasanth, Jayaram, and Gulshan Devaiah, everyone else looks like they could use a thorough wash. A year’s production spent on that, perhaps? #RatherLather
2. Who is Rishab Shetty — Tiger’s son, various Guligas, Parasurama, Shiva, Chavundi…? A true Aham Brahmasmi problem in motion. #330MillionGodsInOne
3. From the yesteryear Deewar to the recent Coolie (yes, that “Powerless Powerhouse!”) and now Kantara — the oppressed are forever fighting to control the harbour. The rest, heroine included, just follow the tide. #SpicyShips
4. While you’re wondering what the Kadambas are up to, the Kadapas are busy managing the Daivas only for the people of Kantara to repel them. Fret not — Kantara C2 will surely explain. #3KProblem
5. Not sure whether it was the dense forest or the projection system at Shaw Theatres, but the movie was literally dark — except, mercifully, for the frames featuring Rukmini. #NoirApproach
6. Thankfully, Forest Officer Kishore and Landlord Achyut Kumar don’t return from K1. Even some of the calefares had a second Kantara run. #SupportLocalTalent
7. Whenever Rishab is possessed, one truly feels it — goosebumps included. But before and after that? We’re the ones possessed. #GuligaPower
8. The rampant-chariot-on-Raja-Veedhi sequence was gripping. The only issue? The Princess and her entourage watched it like an IND vs WI Test match. Swalpa bhavane torisi-ri, Kalavathi-avare! #ExhibitionMatch

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Kantara C1 aims to bring the faith and folklore of coastal Karnataka to the fore through a layered, mythological narrative. It works in fleeting patches but gets tangled along the way. Is it a social-message film - untouchability, tribal oppression... all cured only through divine intervention, or just another good-versus-evil saga with celestial assistance?

This chapter bears and just about managed the heavy burden of the first instalment that wowed us a few years ago, ₹500 crore collections notwithstanding. Faith sells, after all.

I loved Devar’s Murugan movies, Amman, and Yaar etc., — they may have lacked polish, but they had clarity and a discernible flow. Would I mention Kantara C1 in the same breath? Hmm...

Some of the set pieces impress — that langur fight was fierce (though it was hard to tell who was hitting whom!) — and the tiger? Easily better than Life of Pi’s Richard Parker.

If you can’t spare the time or the ticket, wait for it to stream on Prime Video.

⭐⭐⭐

#sriGINthoughts #reviews #KantaraChapter1 #Kannada