The prequel of ‘Kantara’ released in the year 2022, ‘Kantara: A Legend Chapter-1’ has been released in theatres. At the 70th National Film Awards, Rishabh Shetty won the Best Actor and Best Popular Film awards for ‘Kantara’. In such a situation, people have a lot of expectations from ‘Kantara: A Legend Chapter-1’. Let us tell you whether ‘Kantara: A Legend Chapter-1’ lived up to people’s expectations or not?

review- Kantara: A Legend Chapter 1

Director – Rishabh Shetty

actor – Rishabh Shetty, Rukmini Vasant, Gulshan Devaiah, Jayaram

style – Period action drama

rating – ⭐⭐⭐ (3/5)

the story

In ‘Kantara: A Legend Chapter 1’ we are shown a story about 1500 years ago. Its story revolves around the Kadamba dynasty and a tribal warrior Burma (Rishabh Shetty). Burma clashes with King Kulasekhara (Gulshan Devaiah) of the Bangra kingdom to protect his land, traditions and people. It is not just a battle between the king and the tribals, but a story of the conflict between nature vs. power, faith vs. ego and tradition vs. greed.

acting

Rishabh Shetty has breathed life into the character of Burma. His acting gives goosebumps, especially in scenes involving trance and divine powers. Rukmini Vasant gives a heart touching performance as Kankawati. She is not only the girlfriend of the hero, but also an important link in the story. Gulshan Devaiah has impressed with his villainous style in the role of Raja.

Is this movie worth watching in theaters?

The biggest plus point of the film is its visual treat. Jungles, wars, religious rituals – everything is so real and spectacular that the fun doubles on the big screen.

Music and background score

B Ajnish Loknath’s music and background score take the film to a different level. Every drum, every mantra takes you to that period. However, justice was not done to Diljit Dosanjh’s songs in the film. As much as this song was used during the promotion, it was not seen in the film itself.

The power of film

The 20-minute sequence in the climax really gives goosebumps. The film shows the Bhut Kola tradition of Karnataka without any tampering and that makes the film even more special.

Weaknesses

The first part of the film is spent on setting up the story, which makes the film feel a bit slow. Some comedy scenes were forced. At some places the dialogues were in Kannada only. Subtitles were provided below, but they were so small that it was difficult to understand what was being said.

Should I watch it or not?

‘Kantara: A Legend Chapter-1’ is a film whose VFX are amazing, folk culture is beautifully depicted and Rishabh Shetty delivers a brilliant performance. The story is a bit slow, but when the film picks up pace, it keeps you hooked.