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

For as long as she can remember, Pragathi Rishab Shetty had an eye for fashion and style, but those were not career choices available to her. She was an IT professional when she married Kannada filmmaker-actor Rishab Shetty, but she gave up that job soon enough and trained herself in what she always wanted to do – design. “Creating something myself always gave me a kick, but I wanted to ensure I had the right technical know-how, so I enrolled for a fashion designing course. It is only after I completed it that I started working with Rishab on his films,” says Pragathi.

What started with a segment in the anthology Katha Sangama, then went to films like Sarkari Hiriya Prathamika Shaale, Bell Bottom, 777 Charlie and then Kantara. Over the last 5 years, Pragathi has been an integral part of Rishab’s world of Kantara building. “I always loved the idea of creating costumes from scratch, and, for the longest time, I functioned like a one-woman army. This time, I have a team working with me, but it was still about personal involvement in the procurement of every single item of fabric, accessory, jewellery, etc.,” she says.

Pragathi is immensely proud of her work on Kantara Chapter 1, as there wasn’t much she could use by way of reference and yet, had to also strive to make sure that her creations stood out and had audiences take note. “I am nervous and excited to know what audiences think of my work. But I must add that if the frames look nice, a lot of credit also goes to cinematographer Arvind Kashyap,” she adds.

Several costume props, including leather armour and the likes, were created. What does she plan to do with them now? Many years ago, the makers of Krantiveera Sangolli Rayanna had mooted the idea of a museum in Belagavi to showcase the props they had made for the film, which didn’t happen after the producer ran into legal issues. How about a world of Kantara museum?

250 days of shooting on live locations in the forest

“That’s a great idea and something that I had also thought of initially. But after 250 days of shoot, the condition of most of the costumes and props is quite bad. Also, unlike other big films that are shot in studios and closed sets, we were on live locations in the middle of the forest. So, it would actually be unimaginable to salvage even some pieces. The weather was also not conducive, either hot and humid, or raining. There maybe a few items made for the main artistes, but by and large, I think not much is usable now,” she says.

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

While Pragathi is not very optimistic about finding costumes that can be salvaged, after the release of the film, she is looking at spending some time to sift through it and see if the plan can still be put in motion. “It would be nice if we have a place where people can physically see the costumes and props we made for the film. It’s a good idea,” she says.

Q. Where will Kantara Chapter 1 be available after the theatrical run?

A. Amazon Prime Video has acquired the post-theatrical streaming rights of Kantara Chapter 1. The film will drop on the platform on October 30 in the four south languages, while Hindi is expected to be available after 8 weeks.

Q. What is the budget of Kantara Chapter 1?

A. Kantara Chapter 1 has, reportedly, been made at a budget of around Rs 120 cr