Has Rishab Shetty put Kantara 2 plans on hold because of negative wave against Kantara?

When it released way back in September, Kantara was marketed as a rooted ‘mannina kathe’, which, the makers thought would strike with local audiences only. This should explain why Rishab Shetty’s film was brought to theatres in Kannada only. But then, the film surpassed all of their expectations and became an overnight hit, attracting audiences across the country. The big draw for the film was its final 30 minutes or so, which had a strong religious connect, with Rishab’s character Shiva first being possessed by the guardian deity (Kshetrapala) Guliga and then the oldest daiva (spirit) of Tulunadu, Panjurli. Audiences were mesmerized by this ‘divine’ experience, which was heightened by the background score and the song Varaha Roopam.

Kantara, it seemed, was being universally loved, with everyone singing its praise. There was the occasional negative feedback too, but those voices were drowned out by those who loved the film. Such was the craze for Kantara that it clocked a whopping Rs 400 crore at the box office and Rishab Shetty became the toast of the nation. He was ‘wanted’ everywhere and doing interviews and conclaves with every media house worth its salt. Rishab well and truly arrived with Kantara.

But then, almost two months later, there began a palpable shift in this pro-Kantara wave, when the film, finally debuted on Netflix in its Hindi-dubbed version. Suddenly, social media was flooded with comments wondering what the big deal about the film was. ‘Kantara’, ‘overrated’ became trending keywords. The debate, of course, is still ongoing, but then here’s the thing, never ever has Rishab claimed to have made an extraordinary film. In fact, he has been quoted as saying that it is a regular story that’s been elevated due to the inclusion of folklore.

Amid all this came news that Rishab was planning a sequel – Kantara 2 – after he excused himself from an acting gig (Rakshit Shetty’s next production, Bachelor Party), stating that he was busy with prepping for the next instalment of his film. Fans wondered if the next film would be a sequel, following the life of Shiva’s child, or a prequel exploring the origins of Panjurli and Guliga. The rumours gained credence when Rishab and the team of Kantara apparently attended a Bhootakola during which he was given the go-ahead for another film by Panjurli.

Within days of this news spreading, though, Rishab spoke to the Times of India saying that he has no plans to make Kantara 2 now and that the Bhootakola attendance had nothing to do with seeking permission for another instalment in the Kantara series. Well, if he isn’t making Kantara 2 now, why then has Rishab decided against doing Bachelor Party? He had earlier said that he was even pushing his planned film with Anant Nag, Rudraprayag, ahead, because that too was a tale set in a forest and that he does not want audiences to think that he can only present such stories. There is no update on his proposed film with Shivarajkumar either.

The buzz on social media is that Rishab may have re-evaluated his chances with Kantara 2 following the backlash after the OTT release of Kantara. Unlike KGF: Chapter 2, where audiences were invested in the story of Rocky Bhai and wanted the answer to what happened in Narachi after he killed Garuda, Kantara does not have that appeal.