'Kantara' hit the screens today (October 15). In this section, we are going to review the latest box office release.

Story:

The film's story is set in 1990 majorly but the story actually starts out in the year 1847 in the pre-titles segment. A king crosses paths with a demigod, under whose mystical guidance he donates large swathes of land to the tribals residing in the forest area. However, one of his descendants living in 1990 becomes greedy and wants to snatch the lands from the tribals. A deputy forest range officer comes in with the sole aim of implementing a government rule.

This is when the tribals residing in the forest have to get their act together. But it takes only the blessed and heroic Shiva (Rishab Shetty) to do the needful.

Analysis:

The title of the film denotes a mystical forest, and the film is a Telugu-dubbed version of a Kannada film released on September 30. The Telugu release happened today after the movie has been met with a rousing reception by Kannadigas. The background of the Bhoota Kola ceremony, which is an annual ritual, has been talked about widely. The film sets up the same with care and conviction.

Writer-director-actor Rishab Shetty's work is splendid. His acting in the epilogue deserves nothing less than a standing ovation, of the sort Jr NTR did in 'Komaram Bheemudo' in 'RRR'. The writing is deliberate and the film's intent grows on the viewer organically. Shiva's girlfriend Leela (Gowthami Gowda) gets a good part.

The film's visceral portions have been done well. Devendra Suttur (Achyuth Kumar), who plays a wily landlord, excels in the role of Shiva's unforgiving and inhuman double-faced master. The deputy forest range officer Muralidhar (Kishore) gets to show his talent more in the final act. Shiva's mother Kamala (Manasi Sudhir) doesn't get typical scenes.

Arvind S Kashyap's cinematography is impeccable, while B Ajneesh Loknath's background score is terrific. The climax song is hair-raising.

The Kambala buffalo race in the initial segment is entertaining. The film doesn't limit itself to such action/adrenaline moments, though, as the drama is not about the rights of forest dwellers being sabotaged alone. That's why comparisons with Red films made by R Narayana Swamy types are untenable in this case.

It's good that the 'hunting of wild boars' element hasn't been overdone. Even the tensions between forest-dwellers and the officials don't lead to excessively routine scenes. The love story should have been done better. The middle portions are a bit off. The length of the film has been kept in tune with the demands of the genre and story.

The last 30 minutes just can't be missed. They are meant for the big-screen experience.

Verdict:

'Kantara' is a must-watch action-drama with a mystical touch. The technical departments show supreme talent. Rishab Shetty's performance is one of the best ones in recent times.