Rishab Shetty Goes Back To The Age Of Kadambas In Kantara: Chapter 1

After the massive success of Kantara, actor-director Rishab Shetty announced that he would be making a prequel to the socio-fantasy film. He revealed that it would be set before the events of the original and would trace the origins of Shiva, the protagonist, and his father, who was seen in Kantara. The makers of the film have now officially launched the prequel with a title teaser.

The teaser of Kantara: Chapter 1, begins with a scene from the original where Shiva goes in search of his spirit animal in the forests. He finds himself in a mystical circle similar to the one he saw his father in when he disappeared. Shiva looks at the moonlight when we hear the signature scream of the Kola deity Panjuruli. The deity states, “Everything is visible in the light. However, this is not just a light, but a vision. A vision that shows us what was, what is, and what will be tomorrow. Can you see it?”

The scene then shifts to a mystical underground cave where a bulkier and more muscular Rishab Shetty is standing looking at a similar circle spiralling in the sky. He holds a weapon in his hands and is covered in blood. He looks at the camera, with a glint in his eyes. The text reveals that the film will be set during the reign of the Kadamba dynasty, who ruled Coastal Karnataka from 345 to 540 CE.

Kantara: Chapter 1 is directed by Rishab Shetty, who co-writes the film with Shanil Guru and Anirudh Mahesh. The film is backed by Vijay Kiragandur under the Hombale Films banner. Aravind S Kashyap, B Ajaneesh Loknath, and Pragathi Shetty return to the crew as the cinematographer, music director and costume designer, respectively. The film is set to be released in seven languages including Kannada, Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, Bengali, and English. The rest of the cast and crew are yet to be announced.