Film Review: The Cinematic Bhoota Kola - Kantara: Chapter 1 is Not a Prequel, It’s a Possession!

Forget calling Kantara: Chapter 1 a mere film; it is a Kalaripattu masterclass in mythology, a canvas where every frame feels drenched in the soil and spirituality of coastal Karnataka. Rishab Shetty, wearing the dual hats of director and star, doesn't just narrate the origin story; he performs a cinematic Bhoota Kola ritual, channeling the raw, untamed energy of the divine right onto the screen.

The immense opening—a monumental box office collection of around ₹60-65 crore on its release day—proves that the appetite for this raw, rooted form of pan-India cinema, powered by Hombale Films, is insatiable. But does this prequel, set during the Kadamba Dynasty, have the same fierce soul as the legend it precedes?

The Ritual of Spectacle: Sound, Fury, and the Forest

Shetty’s vision is visibly grander, using a significantly higher budget to construct a world that feels ancient and menacing. Cinematographer Arvind S. Kashyap trades the rustic gloom of the first film for a more epic, high-contrast chiaroscuro, making the forest less a backdrop and more an active, looming character.

The true hero of this spectacle, however, is B. Ajaneesh Loknath’s background score. It’s not just music; it’s the war cry of the oppressed, the ringing of temple bells, and the thunderous footsteps of the deity. The film’s technical brilliance is what makes the action sequences—particularly the jaw-dropping Berme (Shetty) transformation—feel like a religious experience.

The Mythic Imbalance

The core of Chapter 1 is the clash: the primal resistance of the tribal warrior Berme against the sophisticated greed of the monarchy (represented brilliantly by Jayaram and Gulshan Devaiah).

However, in its ambition to cover centuries of folklore and political intrigue, the film occasionally gets tangled in its own sprawling narrative. While Rishab Shetty is phenomenal as Berme—a man destined to be possessed by the Daiva—the focus leans heavily on his heroism, sometimes sacrificing the deep, quiet reverence for the forest that made the original Kantara so hauntingly effective. The introduction of Princess Kanakavathi (Rukmini Vasanth) adds necessary strength to the female arc, yet the mythic origins occasionally play second fiddle to Berme's legendary rise.

The Enduring Roar

Despite minor stumbles in pacing during the first act, the ultimate power of Kantara: Chapter 1 is unshakable. It succeeds wildly in its core mission: explaining the why behind the 2022 film’s events and connecting the cultural lineage of the Daiva and the warrior.

It’s an audacious blend of historical drama, high-octane action, and spiritual conviction. By the time the screen fades to black, you are left not just with a movie’s climax, but with the memory of a visceral, almost holy, encounter. Rishab Shetty has reaffirmed that true pan-Indian cinema lies not in imitation, but in fiercely owning one's cultural truth.

Kantara: Chapter 1 is a monumental film—a raw, divine, and necessary thunderstorm of Indian storytelling.