Kantara Chapter 1 movie review: Rishab Shetty goes all out in grand but bland sequel

Kantara Chapter 1 movie review: The novelty factor around a hero quelling all evil under the divine influence of a daiva is long gone, but Rishab chooses to beat that drum again and again and again

Rishab in kantara Chapter 1

Kantara Chapter 1 movie story: Centuries ago, an evil king, Vijayendra lays siege on Kantara, in the hope of staking claim on ‘Eashwarana hootota’, but Guliga’s timely protection puts an end to this, with the young prince Rajashekara barely making it out of the forest, with the help of the Kadaba tribe, who have also been eyeing the mystic powers residing in the forest. Over the years, Rajashekara (Jayaram) steadfastly stays away from Kantara, but then his son Kulashekara (Gulshan Devaiah) sets in motion a series of events that will test everyone, especially Berme (Rishab Shetty), as he comes to understand his true calling.

Kantara movie review: Three years ago, the unanimous verdict about Kantara was that the last 20-odd minutes were the absolute highlight. Back then, it was unique and worked for most audiences, nudging them on to overlook its otherwise routine storytelling. Cut to now, there’s more than 20 minutes of invoking the divine, which is supposed to be the unique selling point this time too. You can’t honestly think that a largely lacklustre film can always be salvaged by appealing to your audience’s religious devotion. Or is that all that it takes?

The first half has a light-hearted feel with Rishab’s Berme getting a Jack Sparrow (Pirates of the Caribbean) treatment, so there are a few laughs here and there. Much of the time is dedicated to the world building and in terms of story progression, there’s not much there, but you get a sense of the scale that the actor-filmmaker is aiming for. The tribal settlement in Kantara and all of Bangra may seem a tad too spic and span and sparkling new, but they make for great visuals. It helps that there is also great VFX effects at play.

The major reveals happen in the second half, which makes one wonder what exactly the point of the film until then was. The problem with Kantara Chapter 1, after all this is that it has a been-there-done-that feel. That every generation of the Kadamba dynasty is after the daivas protecting Kantara, is like the relentless pursuit of humans in Avatar, as they seek to lay their hands on Eywa and all that she entails. Thankfully, Rukmini Vasanth was not just reduced to the pretty and charming love interest and her character is given a nice and impactful twist. She reminded me of Hela in Thor Love and Thunder.

Unlike Ghost, Jayaram was not allowed to dub for himself, which was the best decision by Rishab and team. In the larger scheme of things, it is Gulshan Devaiah who gets the raw end of the stick. He does a great job as arrogant Kulashekara, but still ends as the weak link, with the motivations of everyone around him to make him the sacrificial lamb not quite explored. Kantara Chapter 1, of course, is all about Rishab Shetty and he, yet again, is in supreme form. He gives it his all, but one cannot help but shake the feeling that his efforts feel wasted in a film that offers nothing much by way of uniqueness.

Also read: Kantara Chapter 1 2025: Release date, trailer, plot, cast, budget, OTT partner - all you need to know

The film’s biggest drawback, though, was composer Ajaneesh Loknath’s work, or rather, the lack of it. When Ajaneesh posted only a day ago about finally having finished the output of Kantara Chapter 1 and working day and night to finish the score, it set high expectations. But what does he do, he recycles much of the background score of Kantara, as also the Varaharoopam track, and when he is not using old stuff, he puts Mime Ramadas’ Rebel Song on repeat mode. Like really? The film apparently has 2 other songs, but none of them leave a mark.

Also read: Pragathi Rishab Shetty: Keen to create a Kantara museum with the costumes and props we made, but…| Exclusive

Kantara Chapter 1 movie verdict: Kantara Chapter 1 is the kind of film that will appeal to audiences with a religious bent of mind. They will forgive the weak script, just to be able to soak in the last 30 minutes. But for the others, who were perhaps blown away by the novelty of the first film and came to see what’s next, there may not be much new in store. If Prashant Neel gave Ugramm a massive upgrade with Salaar, here’s Rishab doing the same to Kantara. Rating is largely for the effort Rishab put into the project as director and, mostly, actor, and the grand setting.

PS: How many more daivas are there in folklore for Rishab Shetty and co to milk as part of this franchise?

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