Kanthara crudely translated means “a mysterious forest “. A film set in Keradi in Kundapura taluk / Udupi district in Tulu Nadu / Coastal Karnataka has caught the imagination of the discerning movie going public. It has won critical acclaim for direction, writing, production design, cinematography, action sequencing editing, soundtrack, music score and sterling performances by its cast—Rishabh Shetty, Kishore and Saptami Gowda.
As someone who watched the movie, I can vouch that it is a theatre experience which you will cherish for a long time. A feel-good afterglow, that will linger on for a long time. I assure you, that, you will live and re-live those scenes for at least a week after you have seen the movie on the big screen.
The title song ‘Varaha Roopam’ will give you the goose bumps, the same horripilation, that you will experience when you sing the Indian National Anthem in chorus.
The film is becoming a huge commercial success and it is scripting its own essay in the box office. Its success is unprecedented and is fast emerging as the third highest grossing Kannada film of all time.
It has exquisitely showcased ‘Buta Kola’, an animistic ritual dance performance, perfected and prevalent amongst the Hindus of Tulu Nadu and Malenadu in Karnataka and Kasargod in Kerala. It is also called Daiva Kola or Nema. It is a highly stylised art form that has deeply influenced the Yakshagana folk theatre. In some aspects, it resembles Theyyam of neighbouring Kerala.
The film also has a portion depicted to Kambala, the annual buffalo race specific to the region. Shiva , the film’s main protagonist is a Kambala athlete from Kaadubettu. Kambala is a rural sport like Jallikattu in Tamil Nadu.
The theme of the film as depicted by director Rishabh Shetty is a conflict between man and nature. The strife between the forest officers and the inhabitants of his hometown Keradi is portrayed colourfully in the film or rather, the entire film revolves around this theme.
I have saved myself the bother of recapitulating the story here, as I know it will rob you of the thrill of seeing the movie and savouring it in its pristine form.
Though the song ‘Varaha Roopam’ is of the Janapada genre, they have suffused it with Carnatic music. An eclectic and heady mix, thrown it with the ethereal dancing that gives a touch of surrealism to the rendition.
There is a bit of a controversy too, surrounding the song. Thaikkudam Bridge, a Kerala based multi-genre music band claims that ‘Varaha Roopam’ has an uncanny resemblance to its song ‘Navarasam’ released in 2017
Kanthara is riding the crescendo of a wave. South Indian films are on the ascendant. It started with Bahubali in Telugu.
Pushpa (Telugu), KGF (Kannada), RRR (Kannada/Telugu) and Ponniyin Selvan (Tamil) have all gone to become runaway successes.
First, Tollywood, then Kollywood and now Sandalwood have thrown in the gauntlet to Bollywood. They have raised the bar and upped the ante leaving the much-hyped Bollywood in daze. Content is the key, is a message that is coming loud and clear, in the wake of the recent spate of Southern successes.
The clarion call to Bollywood is to perform or perish!
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