kantara chapter 1 Movie Review

kantara chapter 1 Movie Review

Telugu360 Rating: 2.75/5

STORY:

‘Kantara Chapter 1’ picks up where the first film ended, beginning with the son’s question after his father’s disappearance. The narrative then shifts centuries into the past, exploring the legends of Kantara & Bangra

The focus is on the Bangra kingdom and its neighboring forest land, Kantara – termed as the “ ఈశ్వరుని పూదోట” and famous for its spices. Locals believe there is a Brahma Rakshasa in the region. When a Bangra king tries to uncover the truth, he dies a brutal death, leaving his son (Jayaram) as heir. The shaken king later warns his children to stay away from Kantara.

But his successor, Kulasekhara (Gulshan Devaiah), ignores the warning and arrogantly steps into Kantara, unleashing a chain of misfortunes. Kantara’s protector is Berme (Rishab Shetty), with divine power as well as strength,becomes the true shield of the land. Princess Kanakavati (Rukmini Vasanth) supports plans to trade Kantara’s produce, sparking further conflict with the Bangra rulers.

The rest of the story revolves around Berme, Kulaselhara and Kantara, what hidden force resides in the land, and how divine strength rises when greed and tyranny threaten its people.

Analysis:
The film’s first half is largely average, with a straightforward but narrative that neither bores nor excites until the impactful interval block lifts the momentum. Compared to the raw, rustic, and emotional essence of the original Kantara, this installment feels diluted. Much of the early story is spent establishing the backdrop of the Bangra and Kantara tribes, supported by impressive production values, but it doesn’t fully engage until Rishab Shetty’s interval fight sequence, which is staged with good VFX.

Certain elements like Kulasekhara’s character, his antics, The attempted comedy track and the romantic track with Kanakavati – fail to leave a strong impression. Still, the fight sequences, especially Rishab’s entry and the forest tiger scene, stand out as major highlights, executed with great effort and cinematic appeal.

The second half becomes more ambitious but also scattered. Rishab attempts to weave together multiple narrative threadsbut the sheer volume of subplots leaves the story feeling unfocused and occasionally confusing. Despite this clutter, the divine element regains strength toward the climax, giving the film an elevated finish.

Performances:

Rishab shetty as Berme is obviously good. His performance is same as in first part but felt like re enacted exact same scenes. In mass elevation scenes he is pretty good. Rukmini Vasanth got author backed role, in a way only character which has arc. Gulshan Devaiah and Jayaram are adequate.

Positives:

– Visual Effects and Grand Scale
– Technically Solid elements like Background score
– Rishab Shetty in full blown mass avatar is Good
– Rukmini Vasanth’s character arc

Negatives:

– Reuse of first part’s success scenes as is
– Narrative dips at times in both halves
–  Kantara like Goosebumps impact miss

Verdict:

Kantara: Chapter 1 excels in technical quality and action design but falters in emotional depth and narrative.It delivers three strong theatrical moment scenes and is designed to function as a commercial potboiler. Keep your expectations in check, you can watch one time without issues – for its scale and effort

Telugu360 Rating: 2.75/5