In 2022, the Kannada action thriller Kantara became one of the largest box office successes in Indian film. Rishab Shetty wrote and directed the film, which received a tonne of praise from reviewers and viewers alike for its superb production value and acting. Additionally, Kantara received praise on all major national and international media, entered the Oscar competition, and gained nominations in two categories, including Best Actor and Best Picture. The second instalment of the Rishab Shetty-starring film has now also been confirmed.
Producer Vijay Kiragandur, who worked on the acclaimed studio Hombale Films' Kantara, confirmed the project's continuation in a recent interview with Deadline. Interestingly, Vijay also informed that Rishab Shetty has already started writing the script for the movie and that the second instalment will be a prequel to the popular film. "Rishab is writing the story now and has gone to the forests of coastal Karnataka with his writing associates for two months to conduct research for the film," stated the producer.
Vijay Kiragandur mentioned this in his correspondence with Deadline, "Rishab is planning to start shooting in June, as a portion of the shoot requires the rainy season. And, our intention is to give the film a pan-India release in April or May next year,"
The blockbuster period drama directed by SS Rajamouli, RRR, is the first South Indian film to have entered this year's event; the Rishab Shetty-helmed picture is the second. Rishab Shetty, the film's star and director, revealed the incredibly joyful news in a tweet that reads:"We are overjoyed to share that 'Kantara' has received 2 Oscar qualifications! A heartfelt thank you to all who have supported us. We look forward to share this journey ahead with all of your support. Can’t wait to see it shine at the #Oscars #Kantara hombalefilms #HombaleFilms."
The story of Kaadubettu Shiva and his father is told in Kantara against the backdrop of coastal Karnataka, and the play is centred around the local ritual dance known as Bhoota Kola. The movie, which stars Sapthami Gowda, Kishore, Achyuth Kumar, Pramod Shetty, Prakash Tuminad, Naveen D Padil, and others in significant roles, featured Rishab Shetty in a dual appearance as the lead character Kaadubettu Shiva and his father. Vijay Kiragandur is funding Kantara through his company Hombale Films. The project, which was initially exclusively released in Kannada, was later dubbed into Malayalam, Tamil, Telugu, and Hindi languages after it earned excellent acclaim from both the public and professionals of the film industry.