Whether as a director or as an actor, Rishab Shetty has always strived to step out of his comfort zone. The filmmaker, who spoke to CE ahead of the release of his upcoming directorial, Kantara, asserted that he is a person who does not believe in ‘Luck by Chance’, and rather enjoys going that extra mile, and giving his maximum effort while leaving the result to take its own course.
“There is no such thing as a comfort zone in life. A comfort zone is an addiction, it is not a necessity. Lately, I’ve realised that nothing has come easy to me. At one point, I started enjoying swimming against the tide,” says Rishab, who has once again explored themes of human-nature conflict through his film. Rishab’s inspiration to tell the story of Kantara came to him right in his hometown (Keradi) during the middle of the Covid lockdown. “It all happened during a conversation with a boy living in the village when he happened to share an incident about his father.
The conflict between the inhabitants and forest officers that took place in the ’90s caught my interest. The one-line grew out of that and then we developed the characters and story around that.” Even though the film is designed to evoke senses of mystique, thrill, and unpredictability, what captivates Rishab the most is the film’s emotional core.
“It is a film from our land, from our roots, stories that are heard through generations, untapped and deeply rooted to our culture,” says Rishab, who believes that the more regional a story, the more global it can get. He further adds that the film is for children as well. Kantara is a dandakathe (a legendary story), and my intention is that such stories should be passed down to the new generations.
The film makes for a commercial entertainer with action, comedy, romance, thriller elements, and more. Despite all that, the film still aims to give a better understanding of folklore, traditions, and culture. Produced by Vijay Kirangandur’s Hombale Films, Kantara consists of an ensemble cast that has Kishore, Sapthami Gowda, Prakash Thuminad, Pramod Shetty, and Achyuth Kumar in supporting roles. As a director, actor, and writer, Rishab Shetty effortlessly juggles a multitude of responsibilities, when asked about how he manages to do that, he replies, “I won’t be able to achieve anything if I think I can do all of this alone. I have a dedicated team of technicians and professionals who help execute my vision. I want to share the credit with all of them.”