Kantara

Kantara (listen (help·info)) (transl. Mystical Forest) is a 2022 Indian Kannada-language action thriller film[18][19] written and directed by Rishab Shetty, and produced by Vijay Kiragandur,[20] under Hombale Films. The film stars Shetty as a Kambala champion who is at loggerheads with an upright forest officer, Murali (played by Kishore).

Set and filmed in Keradi in coastal Karnataka, principal photography began in August 2021.[21] The cinematography was handled by Arvind S. Kashyap, with B. Ajaneesh Loknath scoring music for the film and the action sequences were choreographed by the action director Vikram More. The production design was handled by debutant, Dharani Gange Putra.

Kantara was released on 30 September 2022 and received acclaim from critics, who praised the cast performances (particularly those of Shetty and Kishore), direction, writing, production design, cinematography, proper showcasing of the Bhoota Kola, action sequences, editing, soundtrack, and musical score.[22] The film was a huge commercial success and emerged as the second highest-grossing Kannada film of all time, as well as the second highest-grossing Kannada film of 2022.