Rishab Shetty Opens Up About Criticism Made On 'Kantara' Being A Man's World, 'I Give Importance...'

Kantara: Chapter 1, the second instalment of the Kantara franchise, has become the talk of the town. The prequel to the National Award-winning 2022 film has taken the audience back to the roots and given a clear view of 'Shiva's' ancestors. For the unversed, Rishab Shetty, the director, portrayed the role of the protagonist, 'Shiva', in the 2022 blockbuster film, Kantara. However, the successful project has also received flak for its portrayal of women, especially 'Shiva's' love interest 'Leela', played by Sapthami Gowda. In a recent interview, Rishab broke his silence on the criticism he had received.

Kantara: Chapter 1 director, Rishab Shetty, responds to criticism on women's portrayal in Kantara

In a recent interview with News18 Showsha, Rishab Shetty broke his silence on the criticism of women characters in Kantara, following the release of the prequel, Kantara: Chapter 1. Reacting strongly to the flak, Rishab said that he doesn’t agree with the fact that Kantara is a 'man’s world.' Pointing out the character played by Manasi Sudhir in Kantara, Rishab mentioned that it was quite prominent and her role was very important. For the unversed, Manasi portrayed the role of 'Shiva's' mother. Providing an example from a scene, the filmmaker explained how Manasi played a pivotal role in the movie. In his words:

"I don’t agree when you say that Kantara is a man’s world. The character of the mother (played by Manasi Sudhir) in the first film was very prominent. The character of the daiva nartak is key in the story, but the mother’s role is also very important. If you remember the climax, when I was performing a dance ritual by embodying a divine spirit, my mother was an integral part of it."

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Kantara: Chapter 1 director, Rishab Shetty, opens up about giving importance to female characters

In the same interview, Rishab opened up about giving a lot of importance to female characters. He also mentioned the character of Rukmini Vasanth, who portrayed Kanakavathi in the prequel, Kantara: Chapter 1 and said that she is a very strong character. Rishab expressed that, according to him, he had justified the female characters well from the beginning, even though the story revolved around a man. He was quoted as saying:

"I give a lot of importance to my female characters in all of my films, since the very beginning. In my opinion, even in Kantara Chapter 1, Kanakavathi’s a very strong character. I think I justify my female characters even in a film where the story revolves around a man. I understand the conversations that happened. But that’s their perspective. I know that I’ve justified them."

Rukmini Vasanth defends director, Rishab Shetty’s portrayal of women in the Kantara universe

Speaking about her role, Rukmini said in a statement that it explored themes where female characters are prioritised. She mentioned the character, Kanakavathi, was written with a lot of depth, and people will remember her. Defending the director, Rishab Shetty, Rukmini said that the audience will get to see the power of a female character in the Kantara universe. In her words:

"It explores feminine energy in its own capacity. Film mein yeh mudde ka exploration hua hai aur baad mein iske baare mein charche honge. It’s always nice to see people discussing and having a dialogue on the themes a film touches upon. The character of Kanakavathi has been written with a lot of depth. The audience will find it interesting to see a female character with so much agency within the Kantara universe."

What are your thoughts on Rishab Shetty's response to the criticism? Let us know.

Also Read: 'Kantara' 3 Title Revealed, Rishab Shetty Shares BIG Update On The Film, 'There's Something...'

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