Video: Rishab Shetty and Rukmini Vasanth decode the enduring magic of Kantara

India Today

Actors Rishab Shetty and Rukmini Vasanth spoke exclusively to India Today about the phenomenal rise of 'Kantara'. The duo decoded the filmmaking process, its massive success, and how the film shaped them as artists.

Transcript

00:00Let's try and explore this phenomenon of Kantara, a film rooted in tradition that broke barriers and captured the nation's imagination.

00:10We can almost say that India is obsessed with Kantara today.

00:14And at the heart of this success is Rishabh Shetty, the visionary creator, the writer, actor, director.

00:22He has turned folklore into fury. That's a fair way of describing Rishabh Shetty.

00:29We also have the actress of Kantara, Rukmini Vasanth, the powerful woman who brought depth and grace to this legend.

00:38Welcome, Rishabh and Rukmini.

00:42Rishabh, Kantara started as a Kannada film with limited release.

00:48And what moment, or should I say which moment did you realize that it will explode across India and beyond?

00:57I don't realize that it will happen.

00:59Because the blast that happened after that, I saw that in the climax, there will be a meteor that will come in chapter 1.

01:08It's open to the audience, right?

01:11It's like that.

01:12So I was just watching what happened.

01:16So I didn't understand.

01:18And then a producer called in Karnataka.

01:22We were also calling her and we were looking for Hindi dubbing and other language dubbing.

01:28We were pan-India.

01:29First person, Pragati, released a teaser of the film.

01:33In the cinema, he was actually talking about pan-India, and said Pragati.

01:37So, we were saying, no, this is a rooted story, our folklore, I don't know how to accept these people.

01:44They also need to understand them.

01:46So, I can change some lines from Thulu.

01:49The original Daibo, which we say, that statement should be in Thulu only.

01:54This was my thought.

01:56But after that, the producer was doing this.

01:59I went to Mumbai and went to dubbing in a small studio.

02:04I was looking at it, it was parallel.

02:08The success story in Karnataka was spread out in Karnataka.

02:16It's like a wildfire.

02:17I didn't understand that.

02:19After that, I was ready to copy it.

02:21That was an odd release, I think.

02:23It was released on Saturday, on Sunday, on Monday.

02:28That's how I express myself.

02:32I couldn't do it in the frame.

02:34So, I took the film.

02:36So, I took my hand and took my hand and took it back.

02:40You're going to take the film?

02:41Exactly.

02:42And now, you're going.

02:43Exactly.

02:44So, this was the same thing.

02:45People were talking about expectations.

02:48And many of the people who were talking about last time.

02:51This was the same.

02:52We released a lot of new content.

02:54I mean, we released a trailer for 10 days.

02:57And, I think, we released a teaser before.

03:00We released a month ago.

03:01One month ago, we went to rap-up and made a video.

03:04It was so much.

03:05That song was released.

03:06I think, one or two days ago, it was just audio.

03:09We couldn't release that video.

03:11We're still releasing a video song.

03:13Especially with Brahma Kalsha.

03:15It was an odd promotional thing.

03:18But, when we first started our premiere,

03:25it was the same, but on a bigger scale.

03:28So, when we were doing the first part,

03:30it was the same feeling, but on a bigger scale.

03:33So, all credit goes to the audience.

03:37The people who appreciate the content,

03:40the word of mouth is spreading so much.

03:42I'm watching Twitter,

03:43I'm watching other social media,

03:45I'm watching other social media.

03:47I'm like, go wherever.

03:49We didn't understand what's happening.

03:52Now, the fans are in the theatres in Karnataka,

03:57single screens in Tamil Nadu,

03:59Telugu, Andhra, Kherla,

04:01and especially North Belt,

04:03the videos in North Belt.

04:12So, it's overwhelming?

04:13I don't understand.

04:14I think.

04:15Rukmani, how has the nation received you?

04:19Oh, dear, my love.

04:21I mean, I can't say it.

04:22It's been such an affirming experience.

04:25One thing that I was very happy about,

04:26I think.

04:27Rukmani, how has the nation received you?

04:32Oh, dear, my love.

04:33I mean, I can't say it.

04:35It's been such an affirming experience.

04:37One thing that I was very happy about,

04:39was that I can take my first step in Karnataka.

04:44Because my origins are also in the Kannada film industry.

04:47So, I watched the first Karnataka as a member of the audience.

04:51And that gave me so much joy and pride

04:53to watch such a beautiful, rooted story.

04:55So, now, I'm taking my first step in other industries,

04:58like Pan-India films.

05:00I'm taking Karnataka.

05:01It's a very beautiful act.

05:02So, that in itself was very gratifying for me.

05:05Now, I love the audience.

05:07I love the audience.

05:08Like Sir was saying,

05:09it's coming from within Karnataka also,

05:11but also from

05:12some messages from Rajasthan,

05:14Uttarakhand,

05:15Jharkhand.

05:16We're getting messages from all over the country and the world.

05:19It's humbling.

05:21It's gratifying.

05:22It's a lot of feelings.

05:23Rishabh, you said it's spread from word of mouth.

05:26So, what's the role of digital platforms

05:28and streaming platforms?

05:30Definitely.

05:31Word of mouth is spreading.

05:33I'm not saying that this is a big person.

05:34But, I think that in my mind,

05:35it's a big part of the social media.

05:36It makes people spread.

05:37So, people think about it.

05:39It's not that it's not that it's that it's not that it's not that it's that it's a big part of it.

05:43It's a big part of it.

05:44It's a big part of it.

05:45It's a big part of it.

05:46But, sometimes, there are some issues.

05:47Some issues also start happening, but when people have a real review, which is their heart

05:56from their heart, they become very effective.

06:00That's what I'm watching in social media.

06:02Because you have made a lot of cinema from your heart.

06:05100%

06:06And you said that the whole family came together for making movies.

06:09Yeah, that's the same thing.

06:11My school friends came to work for the whole family.

06:15So, many people have worked for junior artists.

06:19Tell us about the filmmaking process.

06:21This is a myth that you have made.

06:25And it's folklore.

06:27Which is about faith.

06:29And that faith is now fury.

06:31And that is also very Rishabh Shetty, who is now in that mold.

06:36We don't say this much about mythology.

06:41We think we are very interested.

06:43Because our experience is teaching us.

06:46What we've studied in our past.

06:48What we've been studying in folklore.

06:50What we've experienced in folklore.

06:52What we've experienced.

06:53We believe in that.

06:55What happened.

06:56We've done that thought process.

06:58We've taken a film and taken a lot of risks.

07:00That's why we've taken a lot of risks.

07:01That's why I made a filmmaker.

07:02I had 3 films from Kantaara.

07:07And I had done that in Canada.

07:09It was really good.

07:10It was really good.

07:11It was a very good success.

07:12It was very good to the audience.

07:13In Kantaara, my grandmother and children came to the house.

07:17And I had settled on that.

07:18My DOP, my co-writers, and all of them are settled in there.

07:25It's been like a five years project in two parts.

07:30And then the second part is that we were very ready.

07:35My hometown, my town, especially Kundapur, Mudur, Karadi.

07:41And it's a film city, it's a film town.

07:47And it's a film village.

07:49I mean, there were a hundred vehicles every day for the shoot.

07:55Because there were thousands of people every day on the set.

07:59There were some artists, juniors, and others who came to work.

08:05And we were there too.

08:07So it's like there too.

08:0990% of the post-production, we came there too.

08:11For the final, we came to Bangalore or Kocchi.

08:15So edit, music director, and set up.

08:21And edit was also 90%.

08:24So you edited the film also in the village?

08:26Yeah.

08:27Wow, that's interesting.

08:29So you know for all the talks that are there,

08:31that technology should be very high-tech editing.

08:34No, that's not.

08:35Today, you can film from anywhere.

08:38Remotely?

08:39Yeah.

08:40It's not a...

08:41You can do it in peace.

08:42You can do it in good.

08:43So you won't have a distraction.

08:44There won't be traffic issues in this city.

08:46There won't be another issue in this city.

08:48There won't be another issue.

08:50So you can stay fully focused.

08:52And you'll get a good Airbnb.

08:56So...

08:57This is very important.

08:58I agree with you on that.

09:00What do you do?

09:01Is that...

09:04To your team, you can transfer your phone to anybody.

09:09No part of that is not a experience for you.

09:10So you are so excited.

09:12You are so excited.

09:13In this year, you will be watching.

09:14In this year, you are so excited.

09:16And you could have an idea of the company.

09:17You know, to be on your team.

09:18You've got an idea of the company.

09:19You're so excited.

09:20You're excited for everyone.

09:21You're excited.

09:22I'm so excited.

09:23I'm excited, considering.

09:24You've got to be the company.

09:25You're excited, you're excited.

09:26I'm so excited.

09:27I'm excited.

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