Kantara: A Legend Chapter – 1's first half is okay. One fears the worst and that the second part might disappoint. Thankfully, the post-interval portion is terrific. The pre-climax is very unexpected while the finale is seen to be believed. The 2022 film Kantara became a rage due to its climax and Rishab Shetty set a benchmark with it both as an actor and director. In this film, he not only meets that standard but elevates the impact to an even higher level. The minus points are the first half, poor music and also the tiny font of the subtitles in Kannada dialogues. Also, there should have been subtitles in English as well. Lastly, though the makers try their best, the film gets a bit confusing in some places. Rishab Shetty's screen presence is electrifying to say the least. Rukmini Vasanth looks lovely and delivers a performance to watch out for. Gulshan Devaiah is aptly cast, while Jayaram (retired king) leaves a huge mark. From the supporting cast, Prakash Thuminad (Chenna) stands out and is funny. All in all, Kantara: A Legend Chapter – 1 does justice to the greatness of the first part and is worth watching for the devotional element and the last 30 minutes.

My rating - *** ½ out of 5!