Indian movie ‘Kantara’ Discusses Environmental Issues and Wins Praise at UNHCR Meeting

The Kannada blockbuster movie “Kantara” was screened in Pathe Balexert theatre in Geneva on March 17. The screening received praise from an audience of 220 people, including UN representatives and Heads of International Organizations.

Rishab Shetty, directed by and played the lead character in “Kantara”. This movie highlights environmental concerns and follows the story of a Kambala champion who confronts a Forest Range officer. The movie blends myth, folklore, local culture, and fiction to portray the eternal struggle between humans and nature.

The movie inspired the audience to be more aware of environmental challenges. The Indian PR spoke about multi-lingual movies produced in India at the UN and mentioned that Kannada movies contribute 10% to it.

Moreover, Kantara was also a box-office success, running for 100 days in theatres until February. On this occasion, Rishab announced the movie’s prequel, stating that he was grateful to the audience for their immense love and support. According to him, the history of Kantara has more depth that he wants to explore further; he also said, “research is ongoing; it is too early to reveal details about the movie.”

Rishabh believes that movies today are crossing linguistic barriers, and if content connects with the audience, it will be accepted as an all-Indian movie. He added that he believes in the “local is the new global” mantra, where the more local the content, the wider audience it can cater to.

The movie’s success proves that Indian cinema is not restricted to Hindi movies but includes regional languages such as Kannada. It also highlights how entertainment can raise awareness about social and environmental issues and encourage people to take action.

Kantara’ is a prime example of how art can influence society and promote positive change. Through its depiction of environmental concerns, the movie inspired viewers to be more mindful of their surroundings and the impact of their actions.

The movie’s success demonstrates that regional cinema can achieve global recognition and reinforces the importance of promoting diverse cultural expressions worldwide.