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The film is based on a land dispute, whose strings are related to 1847. In 1847 a king had everything but no peace of mind. One day in the forest he comes across a stone idol which is worshiped by the local people. Seeing this, the king feels peace of mind. He takes the idol and gives a lot of land to the local people.
South cinema is setting a new precedent. The recent success of mid-budget Kannada film Kantara and has set a new precedent, but also debunks the notion that only larger-than-life southern films transcend and succeed in non-southern regions as well. . Made in a budget of less than Rs 20 crores, the film has earned over Rs 200 crores all India level and continues to do well at the box office. This is despite the fact that two big and mainstream Hindi films were released recently.
This is the second mid-budget southern film in 2022 after Karthikeya 2 (Telugu). An important question that needs to be probed: What are the elements in Kantara that have made this mid-budget film a pan-India success? Let us understand this in more detail:
One of the key elements that makes Kantara a compelling watch is this: it emerges as a fresh retelling of epic-lore tales with lessons for reflection, detachment, and moving on from what constantly eludes us. Grabs attention and keeps us blindfolded. materialistic world.
The film unfolds like a folktale. Folktales are one of the powerful ways of telling stories in India. It has wide acceptance across India and is beyond any distinction that divides Indian society. This folkloric structure of storytelling has attracted large audiences across India. A king has everything. He has experienced happiness.
They have understood the fleeting nature of pleasure and happiness. He is fortunate enough to reach a state beyond the transitory nature of happiness, he needs a permanent experience. This permanent thing is peace. He needs it. It is the sum and end of all desires. He has realized that increasing means of pleasures have not guaranteed him peace.
He senses that he has reached a point where he has to choose what he wants and what he wants. In a world of incredible uncertainties and ephemeral experiences, to practically experience and realize what one wants as opposed to what one wants, is a well-earned blessing. Not many are lucky enough to realize and earn it. Many of us maintain a deep connection with the materialistic world and pay little attention to ideas that can lead to peace.
But the king is exceptionally fortunate to have experienced the burden of pleasures and realized the paramount importance of peace. He feels that peace is a meaning that is attained when the burden of what one has achieved is felt. And that burden is lightened by the sharing or giving that one can easily participate in. Happiness is a detour of the path of abundance. This is a trap.
It weakens and weakens the connection with the materialistic world and takes one away from the world where peace awaits us. The king realizes that it is not a question of peace and happiness or peace and happiness. It is only a question of peace. This is the essence of Indian spiritualism – to attain the nature of equanimity in grace.
Therefore, the king receives peace in grace from the soul of a tribe, provided he gives a piece of land to the tribal people. The tribal people warn the king that he and his family will be watched by the family who performs the Bhoot Kota ritual. If the king or someone from his family tries to grab back the land given to the tribals, the king’s family will receive the blessings of Shanti.
Bhoot Kota is a ritual in which a spirit is invoked by a performer. The soul captures the consciousness of the artist. Through the artist, Bhawna answers the questions asked by the villagers and tribal people,solves problems or sends messages which are important for the harmony of the people of the village and the forest. The king kept his promise. Thus the king lightens the burden of pleasure’s.
But the later generations do not understand the seriousness and dangers of breaking the promise given by the king to the tribal people. Then, the burden of pleasures eased by the king is increased by his immediate successor. He fails to understand the triggers that brought the king to a state where peace was the only foundation upon which the meaning of his life rested. The king’s successor who rebels and tries to take back the land from the tribal people dies.
In the present day, the king’s successor is a zamindar named Devendra. He again follows the same path his father had followed. But he is more evil and cunning in his own way than his father, who was only an outspoken and straightforward man. Despite having a child who is not normal, Devendra wants to change the metaphor that has kept and maintained the harmony in the village. He challenges the spirit. He thinks that he can overtake the spirit and take back the land given to the tribal people. But changing the metaphors that have been working for centuries is no easy matter. Metaphor in this case: the ghost quota ritual.
Joseph Campbell, an American author known for his pioneering work in the study of mythology, said: “If you want to change the world, you must change the allegory.” In this context, Devendra wants to change the world which includes the land of villagers, the land of forests and the land of spirits. He wants the cast of Bhoot Kota to tell his story and not what the soul wants to tell. But what Devendra doesn’t realize is that the villagers are more spiritual in the sense that they give more importance to the ‘soul’ behind the ritual. And the soul cannot satisfy individual needs at the expense of the collective good. Devendra has to face dire consequences. Behind this sub-plot of the film, one important lesson that works is the idea of co-existence in a society even when one has enough to live on. How much land does one man need? It is an eternal concern that reappears in various forms as society changes. This is what is attracting the audience. To a large extent, Devendra’s sub-story is also a commentary on how people face dire consequences for undermining the lessons learned not only from history but also from their forefathers.
The idea of coexistence in society even when one has enough to live on. How much land does a man need? It is an eternal concern that reappears in various forms as society changes. This is what is attracting the audience. To a large extent, Devendra’s sub-story is also a commentary on how people face dire consequences for undermining the lessons learned not only from history but also from their forefathers.
“If you want to change the world, you have to change the metaphor.” In this context, Devendra wants to change the world which includes the land of villagers, the land of forests and the land of spirits. He wants the cast of Bhoot Kota to tell his story and not what the soul wants to tell. But what Devendra doesn’t realize is that the villagers are more spiritual in the sense that they give more importance to the ‘soul’ behind the ritual.
Another sub-plot of the film deals with the protagonist of the film, Shiva. He belongs to a family of Bhoot Kota ritualists. He struggles to maintain the ritualistic tradition. This episode is also a story of attachment. Shiva is associated with the materialistic world in a more accepting and innocent way as compared to Devendra. He is drawn again and again by the world of spirits. But he ignores it and fears that after performing the ritual like his father, he might disappear into the forest. But ritual is not a ritual in the usual sense of the word. When the spirit is invoked and it captures the consciousness of the person performing the ritual, it becomes a process of purification. It frees the performer from any bondage with the human world and smoothes the performer’s entry into the world of spirits. Perhaps Shiva does not want to break away from the human world. But he does not realize the eternal lesson that continues to humble many arrogant men on earth: Grace or the Spirit chooses its recipient. Shiva is the chosen one. Hence, when Shiva performs the Bhoota Kota ritual he develops a certain amount of equanimity, which calms the restless energies of the materialistic world within him. It is again a hero’s journey who returns after experiencing a special far away from the world in which he was born. This is again quite appealing to a large audience. What makes the film interesting is how the world of Shiva and the world of Devendra (the landlord) merge into the world of spirits. Both Shiva and Zamindar have to face the inevitable: entering the world of spirits to understand the futility of the materialistic world.
One aspect that serves as the basis for the film’s success is the element of ritual. In India, many customs similar to Bhoot Kota exist with different names. But the essence remains the same: to invoke the spirit to receive resolve, harmony and blessings. It is this connection that worked for the audience. Lastly, the elements of Navarasa in the film is an important aspect of the film which entertained a large audience.
