Rishab Shetty on the magic of ‘Kantara’ and why the tale has universal appeal

In an exclusive interview, Rishab Shetty speaks about how ‘Kantara’ came to be, how he trained for the now-iconic Bhoota Kola performance, and more

“The more rooted a story, the more universal it can become,” says actor, writer, and director Rishab Shetty, on how films like his recent hit mystical-mystery Kantarastill work for audiences who may not be aware of its cultural and regional roots. In Kantara, Rishab goes back to his roots in coastal Karnataka to tell a story that unifies nature, humanity, and the divine. Folklore, traditional practices, and regional beliefs take centre-stage, and Rishab’s performance as a man possessed by demi-gods Panjurli and Guliga has become a talking point. Interestingly, the actor believes that even the reason for the film’s existence and success goes to these divine beings.

The reception to Kantara has been such, that even before the release of the dubbed versions of the film in Hindi, Telugu, Tamil and Malayalam, the title became the highest-rated Indian film on the platform IMDb, surpassing the likes of KGF: Chapter 2 and RRR. Excerpts from a chat with the actor, who was in Chennai recently:

Congratulations on the success of ‘Kantara’ Where did the idea for this project germinate from?

I always believe that a film makes itself and that we are just tools. During the second lockdown, I thought about a real incident that had happened between an agriculturalist and a forest officer; it was not a mere clash of egos, as they represented two different things. A forest officer representing nature — who became the character played by Kishore — and a man from the village in the forest representing humanity, who is our protagonist Shiva. The latter is someone who doesn’t care about the rules of the forest department because he is only concerned about the livelihood of his people, which is based on agriculture.

This man hails from my homeland in coastal Karnataka, where the ritual of Daivaradhane and religious practices surrounding demi-gods are prominent. There, we believe that the land has a certain divine energy. I started thinking about how such beliefs about demigods  are prevalent across the country. For instance, in Tamil Nadu, these gods are called ‘Kaaval Deivangal’. I believe that the more rooted a story is, the more universal it can become, and so anyone can relate this story to ideas from their local beliefs and milieus. Bringing all this together, I wanted to tell a story about co-habitation, and how such demigods are a bridge between nature and humanity.

Do you agree that  films with religious themes should be made in a certain way to attract the younger crop of audiences? ‘Kantara’ is a commercial entertainer, and not an arthouse film, per se...

Yes, because an audience pays and watches films only to be entertained for two and a half hours. Creators can say whatever they want as long as they provide entertainment too. Even if you tell a serious story, you have to ensure that you bring the audience to the edge of their seats.