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
(Originally published in The Hindu on October 18, 2022)
“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…
Read the full interview here: