The most popular and second highest-grossing film in the Kannada industry ‘Kantara’ was screened on the third day of NIFF. This pan-India film was released in several languages like Kannada, Tamil, Telugu, Tulu, Malayalam and Hindi. The film had completed 100 days of its release earlier this year.
Kantara was in consonance with the spirit of the film festival. It is a movie depicting ‘Bhoota Kola’ and other religious rituals integral to Tulu Nadu. It has been showcased spectacularly, attracting a huge amount of social appreciation. Financially also, the movie has earned huge revenue. The talentsof local actors got good exposure too.
In particular, the Director, Rishab Shetty, got prominence throughout the film industry. People started looking for this kind of movie in large numbers. Former Minister for Kannada and Culture V. Sunil Kumar announced a monthly pension of Rs. 2000 for ‘Bhootaradhane’ performers above 60.
The film has a star cast of the Director himself, Kishore, Achyuth Kumar, Sapthami Gowda, Pramod Shetty, Naveen D. Padil and many others. Hombale Films produced this action thriller film. The film has garnered several accolades.
Rishab Shetty has won the most promising actor trophy, ‘Dadasaheb Phalke’, the highest honour in Indian cinema.
The film’s plot revolves around the conflict between man v/s nature. Based on folklore, the film has an interwoven story in two different time frames. In the 18th Century, the local king granted a piece of land to the villagers in exchange for peace and joy from Demigod Panjurli. However, centuries later, the king’s descendants threatened the villagers to return the land. The King’s descendant challenges the Demigod to get the land backj through court, but the vessel of Demigod vows to protect the villagers’ land. This forms the crux of the story.
Audience response:
A media student Pranay said , “First time I watched the movie, I found it difficult to relate as I am from Kerala. This was a new experience of a new language and art form. But due to my curiosity, I started learning about the art form, culture and Kannada language.”
“I had the opportunity to watch it again at NIFF. This time it was a different experience altogether. I could understand and enjoy the movie through the art form and could appreciate every aspect of it. Also, realised the movie needs no language to understand, as the stellar cast’s exceptional acting skills connect with the audience.”