How 'Kantara – A Legend' delivered divine experience depicting Samskriti and Sanskar of Bharat

Seldom do we have a cinematic experience that invigorates the divinity in us and makes our head bow in reverence to the spiritual prowess of our land called Bharat. Such an experience is so overwhelming that our hands automatically fold and tears of ecstasy roll down our cheeks in submission to the divinity portrayed on the screen. Such an overwhelming experience is one to savour.

Cinema as an art form breaches all peripherals when it amalgamates with spirituality. The amalgamation of cinema and spirituality begets a cinematic experience that leaves the audience awestruck. That is the experience of very powerful cinema that can single-handedly raise the collective consciousness of society. When collective consciousness is infused with creative consciousness it has an exponential effect. Such a rise in collective consciousness is a sign of divinity.

One such movie that appears to have the blessings of the divine in order to raise the collective consciousness is Kantara – A Legend. Kantara is everything that is beautiful about our land called Bharat. From our samskriti to our traditions, from our love for nature to our collectivist society, from our spiritual heritage to our divine experiences, from our belief systems to our village heritage, and from reverence for our protectors to the rich Samskriti we have inherited. Watching Kantara is a divine experience. The movie can be further analyzed from two perspectives, one is the significance of tradition and the other is the cinematic experience. Let’s understand some of the finer aspects of the movie.

Kantara is a full embracement of our Samskriti and Sanskar. It is an unapologetic portrayal of our heritage and traditions. A movie such as Kantara has set a high benchmark for all filmmakers to follow. Kantara upholds our rich heritage, our timeless traditions and respects the sanctity and sacredness of every ritual which is local and time tested. It also displays the indissoluble relationship between villagers and the nature which they worship. Nature worship is in the intrinsic nature of our rural lives. In our Samskriti there is a holy bond between man and nature.

Since eternity we have had concepts of sacred forests and sacred water bodies protected by local deities. Nature worshiping specifically around forests and rivers is an integral part of the Hindu way of life. The same has been expressed beautifully in the movie. It’s an unapologetic Hindu way of telling the story. The world in reality wants to watch the stories of our great Samskriti, Samskar and Sabhyata but over the years we have been copying the west not just blindly but foolishly also and hence never succeeded in the same.

Kantara breaks this stereotype and presents us a local tradition in the most beautiful way. The tradition of Bhoota Kola practiced in the coastal regions of Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Kerala has a rich history. The tradition is performed by selected people who in an Avatar are believed to have become ‘Daiva’ or ‘Devta’ themselves. People hold the tradition in high reverence. Never before has a movie touched upon the tradition and portrayed it on the big screen with such finesse. By the end of the movie, one not only relates to the tradition in all earnestness but is also overwhelmed by the divinity portrayed on screen. This is not just a case with one or two individuals but an entire theatre that resonated with the message conveyed by the filmmakers. There was a feeling of pride for our samskriti after watching the movie.

The ‘Varaha Roopam’ depicted in the movie stays with the audience long after the movie finishes and the reverence for our Samskriti and tradition increases multifold. Our tradition such as Bhoota Kola which is sometimes discarded as mere superstition is held in the highest of glory by the filmmaker. Such a portrayal shatters all pseudo narratives around the tradition and makes our Samskriti and Sabhyata shine in all their glory.

From the filmmaking point of view, the film is a magnum opus. Every frame in the film is an ode to the heritage and traditions of Tulunadu, from Kambala to Yakshagana to Bhoota Kola, every aspect of tradition and local samskriti is sensitively depicted in the movie with complete sanctity and respect it deserves. The movie is shot in raw locations which gives a real life experience of the tradition and its practices. The music of the movie syns up beautifully with the story telling. The song ‘Varaha Roopam’ will definitely give you goosebumps. The scenes of ‘Daiva’ or the protector of the local people are the strongest. It sets the right tone for the movie. The set pieces as well as the cinematography is top-notch. Even the fighting sequences are beautifully choreographed. The movie entails an interesting viewing.

The story shows the importance of Samnvaya between locals and government endeavours for the protection of the local rituals, and customs of people living in forests and nature itself. Another aspect to marvel at is the deep research involved in making the movie as raw and realistic as possible. Every detail is properly researched. The type of drink which locals take, the costumes, the native sport (Kambala) they play, the flowers they use for the puja, their tree houses and huts, the equipment they use for forest interactions as well as their general parlance is all captured in its raw form after thorough research. The movie is so well-researched and executed that it might put even Hollywood filmmakers to shame.

But above all, Kantara is a one-man show and that man is Rishab Shetty. He is the writer, director and protagonist in the movie. Brilliant direction, enthralling storytelling and marvellous acting.  In fact, the acting performance is by far the best by any actor this year. I can safely say that Rishab Shetty’s last 20 minutes performance is not mere acting, it appeared as a divine manifestation. Hands folded automatically when Shiva transformed into the Divine Daiva, that sacred was the impact. Rishab Shetty has immortalized himself in Bharatiya cinema with his performance in Kantara – The Legend.

Kantara explores the power of soft power in the truest sense. Also, as I have always said that every story needs to end on a positive note, even Natyashastra speaks about ‘Sukhant’, Kantara ends on a hopeful note, suggesting a harmonious engagement and collaboration between society and the state to find sustainable solutions to the various conflicts including the human – nature clash. The movie also teaches an important lesson that we as people need to look inwards for solutions to all our problems rather than look out, the traditional way of having communities as custodians of the environment and the ruler being a mere facilitator instead of obstruction is the most sustainable solution which has also worked since ages.

Kantara beautifully captures the importance of reclaiming that sacred balance between mother nature and human activity while delving into our own traditions and samskriti. Kantara is truly a once-in-a-generation movie. There is a huge demand not just natively but across the world to view Bharatiya Samskriti, Sanskar and Sabhyata through a cinematic medium. Kantara does just that. The movie is authentic to the core. The authenticity of music, background score, accent, language, captures human emotions and heritage almost perfectly. It is so perfect that all in all, Kantara can be rightly called a divine manifestation of our Samskriti and Sanskar!

The author is an advisor, Khajuraho Literature Festival, Prabuddha Bharat Belagavi, VESIM Literati Festival Mumbai. Views expressed are personal. He tweets @MODIfied_SKP

Read all the Latest News, Trending News, Cricket News, Bollywood News,
India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.