'Kantara: Chapter 1' controversy - Tuluva community upset with Rishab Shetty-starrer for factual errors and causing disrespect of sacred traditions
Religion in India is a delicate rope to walk on, especially when you are a film-maker. Rishab Shetty, actor and director of the Kantara series, must be finding that out after his latest release Kantara: Chapter 1, prequel to his 2022 blockbuster Kantara.
Released on 2022, the mythological epic drama opened to extremely positive reviews and has taken an earth-shattering opening at the box office across India and abroad. As per reports, the film's worldwide gross across it's first eight days stand at over Rs 470 crore. In Karnataka, the film has smashed the opening weekend and opening week records, and is on track to be the first Rs 200 crore grosser in the state.
While all is smooth as far as the box office is concerned, Shetty and the makers of Kantara: Chapter 1 are facing a big controversy in their homeland of Karnataka. Over the last week, the Tuluva community has expressed its objection to Shetty and Hombale Films who have bankrolled the franchise. The major allegations are about the commercialisation of sacred primitive traditions, thereby causing disrespect to the age-old traditions of Daivaradhane.
In the last few days, there have been multiple videos from theatres in India where people have dressed up as a Daivaradhana performer in the same way as depicted in the Kantaa series. While we have seen similar instances from many popular films over the years, clearly imitating a religous tradition as part of gimmicks is intolerable for any religion or community.
While this isn't the fault of Shetty or Hombale films, the Tuluvas are of the opinion that a second film in the Kantara franchise wasn't needed at all. In fact, TV9 Kannada reported that the Daivaradhakas have already approached the Bajpe Daivasthana (a shrine dedicated to Daivas in Bajpe village of Mangalore) to lodge a complaint against the makers of Kantara: Chapter 1 for exploiting Daiva traditions.
There is also an allegation of factual inaccuracy regarding the depiction of the Daivas who have been shown as violent people in the film. Shetty has also been accused of making significant changes that impact the beliefs of Daiva worshippers. There has been immense outrage from Tuluva people on the internet too, notably on X and Reddit.
"Why did movie fictionalize and showed the Daivas in a horror violent way and modifying the entire relations of Guliga, Chvundi hurting the believers?," wrote an angry user on X.
"Why bring Daivas to movies when you know it shouldn't be imitated in the first place & issue notice to public for the same?
When will you stop this franchise of minting money in the name of Daivas?"
Another Mangalore-native on Reddit spoke about a startling factual distortion in the film.
"I’m from Mangalore, and I believe anyone should have the right to tell stories and make movies no matter the content. That freedom is important," wrote the user on Reddit.
"But with Kantara, there’s something that really hurts those of us from Tulunadu. The movie twists the very core of our cultural beliefs. The traditions here pre-date the Vedic systems. They’re primal and deeply rooted. The Bhoothas aren’t deities they’re spirits. They’ve always been seen as equals among humans, a part of nature, a presence we live in harmony with."
"The annual Bhootha Kola isn’t about worshipping a god sent from elsewhere. It’s a community ritual people from every religion come together to honour that ancient spirit world."
The actor or production house is yet to react to this row but with the way things are going, a public statement can be expected soon. Hombale Films, however, had released a notice warning people against imitating sacred acts on theatre premises but that post was soon deleted by them, only to be reposted following another social media outrage.
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