Rishab Shetty’s ‘Kantara: Chapter 1’ expands the world of the predecessor in a mostly engaging way

The film goes back in time to tell a story set during the time of kings. The narrative suffers from “sequel-itis”. We know the template by now. But the bigness of the production and Rishab Shetty’s incredibly committed performance help to keep us invested. That was the short review. A longer analysis follows, and it may contain spoilers.

As we’ve been told, the follow-up to Rishab Shetty’s phenomenon, Kantara, is actually a prequel. We know it’s set during the rule of the Kadambas of Banavasi, and we have seen the grand visuals that pit golden palaces against the natural habitats of the indigenous communities. In the movies, one does not mess with a winning formula, so I expected more of the same. And yes, again, we get a story about the oppressors and the oppressed. We get the equivalent of the landlord in the earlier film, someone who’s a snake in disguise. We get Rishab Shetty’s magnificent acts of possession, where a god takes hold of him and turns him into a fearsome avenger. So yes, the narrative suffers from “sequel-itis”. The first time many of us saw Rishab Shetty perform a kola, the first time we heard that ear-shattering cry from a tribal – that first-ness, that freshness is missing.

You can read the rest of the review here:

https://galattaplus.com/rishab-shettys-kantara-chapter-1-expands-the-world-of-the-predecessor-in-a-mostly-engaging-way/

You can watch the trailer / video review here:

Copyright ©2025 GALATTA.