Amid Scripting History At Box Office, Kantara Chapter 1’s Rishab Shetty Opens Up On Backlash Over Women Portrayal in His Film

Chapter 1 of the movie Kantara by Rishab Shetty is hitting the box office with record collections. Coupled with the success, the filmmaker himself has addressed the criticism that he received over the portrayal of women in his previous movie Kantara (2022). He expressed his ideas about storytelling, society, and the equilibrium between the cinema and viewer expectations.

The Backlash After Kantara

In 2022, Rishab Shetty was criticized after one of the scenes in Kantara, in which Shiva pinches the waist of the heroine without her approval. Many felt it was problematic. Rishab described the process of Shiva as not a perfect journey of a hero, but that of a man who errs and corrects himself later. He explained that the action was displayed as a development in the character and that further on in the narrative, Shiva is on the way to enlightenment.

Rishab Shetty on Women’s Portrayal in Cinema

Rishab explained that there are powerful and influential female characters in his movies, such as the mother in Kantara, but their paths are determined by the plot. He further stated that cinema represents the positive and the negative features of society. Stories may not always conform to external demands. In his opinion, the audience must retain the good lessons and discard the bad ones.

Chapter 1: Kantara: A Box Office Storm

Rishab Shetty is finding the same massive success with Kantara Chapter 1 as he gazes back at the criticism. It is a prequel, a thousand years earlier than the first, and written and directed by him.  According to Sacnilk, the film has earned ₹256.75 crore net in India within just five days. Kantara Chapter 1 features Rishab Shetty, Rukmini Vasanth, Jayaram, and Gulshan Devaiah. The movie has become one of the biggest hits of the year.