Kantara A Legend Chapter 1 Review – 148 Minutes of Rishab Shetty’s Mayhem
After 3 years of its unprecedented success, Rishab Shetty takes us back to the magical world of Kantara in Kantara A Lgened Chapter 1. Set as a prequel to the original, does it deliver the promised magic, or is it just a hype wagon?
Back in 2022, Shetty’s magnum opus was making waves all around by delivering something completely unexpected on such a tight budget. The rooted culture, along with complete entertainment without being completely over the top, made me a fan of this franchise. When the sequel was announced, I was checking my calendars to see how many days were left for its release. Finally, I got the chance to witness it.
So What’s It About?
Set as a prequel in a time much before the original, Kantara A Legend Chapter 1 is about the mystical worlds of Daivas and the king’s greed to conquer them. It’s about the mystical powers of nature, the boundary that should not be crossed, and much more! Telling anything about the story will be a spoiler, and I am stopping right here.
I am diving right into the review now.
Pros -
Rishab Shetty
Let’s be honest, Kantara was made to be a Rishab Shetty film, and like the first one, this one too is an out-and-out Shetty masterpiece. He has devoted almost 3 years to this film and has left no stone unturned to make this compete with any international production. He is in almost every scene, and he has uplifted the film with his absolute mayhem performance.
Direction
Being the lead actor and the director at the same time is not easy. The film has multiple action set blocks, and Rishab has made them absolutely amazing. He has also brought in actors who have delivered some of their best performances. I never thought that someone in India could topple Rajamouli in terms of handling action spectacles. Kudos to him.
Performance
Rishab again pulled off new levels of greatness in terms of performance from his hat in this film. Be it Guliga or any other scenes, he has taken this to another level. But not just him, this time the stakes are higher with Gulshan Devaiah joining in as the big baddie. He always delivers and has not disappointed us this time with his demonic performance. Apart from them, Jayaram and Rukmini Vasanth have also done justice to their characters.
Action Spectacles
The film is packed with some big action spectacles. The first one involves the entry of Rishab, which is shot beautifully. The second one comes right before the interval and was needed to keep the adrenaline flowing. But then again, when you come back from the break, the film delivers another action set piece. But Kantara has always been about the climax, right? Yes, the climax is much bigger and better than the first one, and it keeps you glued to your seats. Don’t miss the twist right before the end!
BGM
Hombale Films, with its KGF franchise, has redefined the importance of BGM to uplift a film. Ajaneesh Loknath did the same with this one, too. The powerful screenplay and scenes needed a perfect BGM to make it complete, and Loknath did his job with finesse. There is a blend of tribal music with Indian classical, which was so soothing. He deserved a National Award.
Writing of Female Characters
I love it when people take the criticism with conviction and try to better themselves. The first film was bashed by many due to the poor handling of the female characters. But Rishab Shetty improved himself by bringing in strong female characters. There are warriors in the tribes for whom you will be rooting, and there are characters whom you will be cursing, too. Rukmini Vasanth did a great job with her performance in the character of Kanakavathi. Watch out for her!
Cinematography
The first film had great color grading and cinematography involving the landscapes of Karnataka. While Chapter 1 didn’t have many sunny scenes or daylight but the cinematography was mind-blowing. The set design of the Kantara village was so real and gritty. Great job done here.
Cons -
Rishab Shetty
Yes, you read that right. He is both the firepower and the negative part of this film. We all love some masala in our food, but too much of anything is harmful. I can’t remember scenes that didn’t have him in them! I acknowledge his performance, his vision, and creativity, but still, there are so many great actors in this film who deserved more presence.
Underutilization of Gulshan
Gulshan is a fantastic actor and is very underrated. In any film he has worked in, he has given his everything. He was the right choice for the baddie in this film, but he deserved more scenes. I think he was not utilized to his full potential and should have been given more screen presence.
Comedy
The comedy in this film was very meh. I don’t think it was needed in most of the places. It worked in bits and pieces, but it was not working for me. This can also be due to the poor Hindi dubbing. If you have seen it in Kannada, then let me know what you think about the comedy.
Length
The film is almost three hours long and has so many things going on in it. There are big set pieces one after another, and it actually gave me a headache at one point. I think the director could have trimmed it by 15-20 seconds.
Re-use of Actors
I personally didn’t like the reuse of actors from the previous film, like Prakash Thuminad or Pramod Shetty. They left their mark in the first one with their performance, but now they are brought back in a story set much before the original, with different characters having the same flavor. This fan service was unnecessary and forceful.
Final Words
Kantara A Legend Chapter 1 is Rishab’s magnum opus, which is made with sheer hard work and dedication. It delivers 3X more than the first one and is designed to be relished on the biggest screen possible. If you are a fan of this franchise, or Shetty, or a cinephile, then don’t miss this in the theatres. Highly Recommended.
Rating:
What do you think about this film? Do let us know in the comments below.
Avik
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