Kantara: Chapter 1 — A Grand Reawakening of Myth & Mystery

Introduction: The Legacy Continues

When Kantara (2022) became a box-office and cultural phenomenon, it was not only a local hit — it resonated with Indians worldwide with its blend of folklore, spirituality, and nature.

Prequel hype has been enormous. Kantara: Chapter 1 fulfills that promise, trying to build upon the mythos, delve into the origins, and provide spectacle on a larger canvas.

Story & Setting :

A Glimpse into the World

Kantara: Chapter 1 takes place in coastal Karnataka in precolonial times, during the reign of the Kadamba dynasty.

The movie will try to trace the origin of the Bhuta Kola ritual and the ancestral conflict between the inhabitants of the forest (daiva worshippers) and the incoming authority.

Protagonist & Conflict

Berme played by Rishab Shetty is the protagonist who lives amongst the tribal community in a bond with nature and god worship.

Across from him is Kulshekhar (Gulshan Devaiah), the self-absorbed king of Bangra, whose greed and policies headlong hurtle into collision with forest people.

There also is an important one for Kanakavathi (Rukmini Vasanth) who becomes a central thread of connection to the story.

Technical Craft & Performances:

Cinematography & Visuals

One of the best things the movie does is its scale visually. The thick forest terrain, misty environments, huge war set pieces, and atmosphere shots are appreciated during critic scores.

Others warn, though, that in striving to do so much, the movie can lose the grounded realism that rooted the original emotionally.

Music & Sound

The background score (by B. Ajaneesh Loknath) complements the mystical and spiritual tone of the movie. There are a few early reviews which hint towards how music uplifts some of the key sequences.

Acting & Character Arcs

Rishab Shetty brings authoritative presence to the character, essaying Berme's aggression, conflict, and religiosity.

Rukmini Vasanth is generally praised for standing her ground and lending emotional depth to her act.

Gulshan Devaiah as the villain receives mixed reactions — some appreciate his ambition-turned character development, while others are less than satisfied with a couple of things in his subplot.

Since this is a Bollywood film, the film does, nonetheless, reflect moments of levity, lighter sequences, and "fish out of water" scenarios as it makes human from individuals who operate on both mystical and earthy levels.

 

Strengths & Weaknesses:

What Works

1. Great second half & climax — Most critics mention that the movie gets back on track in the second half with consistent emotional returns and visual wizardry.

2. World-building & folklore — The effort to build the Kantara world of mythic richness and moral dilemma is welcomed.

3. Technological ambition — For a Kannada movie, the epic proportions, production design, green forest shootouts, and fighting scenes are ambitious and mostly achieved.

What Falters

1. Slow pace / drag in the first half — One major criticism is that the movie takes too long to set up, and the early scenes occasionally feel lacking in momentum.

2. Predictability in the story — Some sections come across as formulaic, and some of the twists in the story become predictable, primarily if one has seen the original Kantara.

3. Crowding & malnourished threads — With so many characters, mythic allusions, and concurrent story threads, the movie sometimes doesn't have room to breathe for all of them.

4. Flashbacks with original — A few critics feel that reminders of the original Kantara are felt too strongly, thereby making certain scenes less fresh.

Reception & Box Office:

Critical & Audience Buzz

The film has been called a "divine cinematic experience" by everyone, with appreciation for visuals, peak, and scale.

Social media response is a mix of appreciation and acid remarks regarding pacing and cohesiveness in certain segments.

Box Office Performance

Day 1 saw the film gathering ₹85–90 crore worldwide, enjoying a good performance in India and reasonable Hindi dubbed version collections.

It had crossed ₹100 crore in 2 days — a milestone that showed its stupendous popularity. 

Final Thoughts & Expectations for Chapter 2

Kantara: Chapter 1 is a risky move — it opens up the mythology, the stakes are escalated, and there is spectacle in areas seldom ventured in mass Indian cinema. It slips on pacing and narrative evenness here and there but, through its ambition, technical skill, and emotional peaks, is worth the ticket to the Kantara franchise.

For longtime fans, the prequel enriches the mythology and sets a multitude of suspenseful trails. For newcomers, it's perhaps a bit too much to jump into something in the midst of a mythic story, but is otherwise rich on excitement in its imagery and spirituality.

And while the masses are waiting with bated breath for Chapter 2, producers now face the task of weaving all the strands — action, myth, character, and soul — together more cohesively.

VAISHNAVI YADAV

BJMC 3