The story of Kantara (sacred forest) is set in the Indian state of Karnataka and is inspired by the relationship between forests and human beings, taking place over almost two centuries, encompassing a royal history that goes from the 1800s to the late 20^th century.
A progressive king promises to give his lands to the local communities in exchange for a stone wherein he finds solace and peace of mind. After one and a half centuries, the heir to the royal crown turns greedy and, using deceit, seems ready to break the ancestral promise.
The central story of Kantara – spoken in Kannada, a language predominantly spoken in the state of Karnataka – focuses on land disputes, and the local pooja: a local demigod who looks after the local populations. The tale shows their rituals and deep connections to the Demigods, a common effort to save the land from getting into the wrong hands. It’s a beautiful visual fiction of a man named Shiva anna, who is pitted against difficult situations but bravely faces them as he fights for the rights of the people.
The visual compositions depict the grassroots culture as well as the vastness, and magnificence, of the forest. The action-drama, an original tale rooted in Indian culture and mythology, is written and directed by Rishab Shetty. The Kannada actor/director also leads the acting ensemble. His movie has been dubbed in Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, and Malayalam. 
Kantara is set and filmed in Keradi, in coastal Karnataka. The cinematography was handled by Arvind S. Kashyap, who carefully blends story with well framed visual poetry. B. Ajaneesh Loknath brings local sounds and folklore to the film’s score. The action sequences were choreographed by the Vikram More.
Rishab Shetty spoke to newspaper The Federal (thefederal.com) on the meaning of success and the importance of his movie being widely accepted as a Kannada film. “Right from my childhood, I’ve been a keen observer and believer of our rituals and folklore. During the second lockdown, I happened to learn about a real incident that happened between a forest officer and a civilian 30 years ago. That particular incident worked on my mind and helped me create two solid characters,” shared Rishab.
He clarified that he didn’t exactly replicate the real-life narrative. Some cinematic liberties were taken, to add a sense of novelty to the script. “Kishore’s character is more of a representation of nature. My role is the representative of today’s people. I see God as the bridge between nature and humans. This is the backdrop against which I penned the entire script of Kantara,” he revealed.
Kantara has created history by becoming the highest-grossing movie ever in the state of Karnataka.