Kantara Review: Kantara means “Legend” and that is what this film portrays in terms of the practices that are going strong due to people’s faith in their deities.
Mixing folklore into films has always been challenging because there’s a very high risk for its authenticity and doing justice to what already there is and is followed by quite a large number of people so you have to stay true to everything you show and, in that sense, Kantara has done a tremendous job.
it not only gave us full action-packed sequences with stunning visuals but also gave us the native folklore-related story that works beautifully.
Kantara is about a large piece of land that belongs to a King/Landlord who has everything other than peace of mind and searching for that, the king finds a deity so full of warmth and inviting that he wants to keep it to himself and take it away but it is a villagers/commonfolk’s deity and upon heartfelt request, the deity agrees to come with the king on one condition that when the deity screams, the land until where the screams go shall be given to the villagers/commonfolk and in future if that promise is broken, there will be revenge.
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Strong Points
Beautiful Cinematography
Even though the folklore-related story does not stay for long and we’re shown by the story of Shiva who is a short-tempered but righteous person, the visuals are one to look at that do not let you go astray.
Screenplay
For a story that is a dependent story about a person who is affected by the faith of the deities Guliga & Panjurli, with a runtime of 149 minutes the film moves into different sides but does not let you forget what the main story is and keeps pulling you back in with some occasional scary scenes.
True to its roots
The film portrays coastal Karnataka i.e., Mangalore & Udipi, and is also shot there. Not only that, the faith & practices shown in the film happen in real life there, and for a film to stay true to its roots and show a perfect blend of action with folklore is a mix that is true and down to earth.
Weak Points
Quite Some Songs
The film moves at a good pace but is affected by the placement of songs and there are quite a number of songs. There are places where you feel that they’re just extras.
Final Verdict: 4/5
The film is a brilliant take on the story that we’re somewhat familiar with but presented in such a unique and raw form that it leaves you with your jaw wide open and in utter shock. Kantara is visually stunning and the last 20 minutes of the film are nothing but true brilliance.