Kantara is a Kannada action thriller film written and directed by Rishab Shetty. Produced by Vijay Kiragandur under the banner of Hombale Films, who were also the bankrollers of the KGF films, the film stars Rishab Shetty himself as a Kambala champion who is at loggerheads with an upright DRFO (Deputy Range Forest Officer) Muralidhar (played by Kishore), Achyuth Kumar and Sapthami Gowda feature in supporting roles.

Kantara was released on 30 September 2022 and received acclaim from critics, who praised the cast performances (particularly those of Shetty and Kishore), direction, writing, production design, cinematography, proper showcasing of the Bhoota Kola, action sequences, editing, soundtrack, and musical score. It also got the attention of Superstar Rajinikanth himself who praised the film for the aforementioned reasons and also because of his sheer love for it. 

Rajini invited Rishab to his residence to meet him and comment the actor-director on the film. This moment was shared by Hombale films through their official Twitter handle where they posted pictures from their meet which have now gone viral all across various social media platforms. The first post was put up yesterday (October 28) along with a caption that read, "‘Master and his Apprentice’ engaged in an insightful conversation! One & Only @rajinikanth sir with our #Shiva, @shetty_rishab . #Kantara #DivineBlockbusterKantara ". Check it out: 

Earlier today (October 29), another set of pictures was put up by the Hombale team. Sharing the images, they attached yet another caption that read, "Moments to treasure for life for the #HombaleFilms #Kantara team. With #noneother than the #Thalaiva himself Thank you @rajinikanth sir for your precious time. 🙏 ". Check it out: 

Kantara was a huge commercial success and became the second-highest-grossing Kannada film of 2022 and emerged as the second-highest-grossing Kannada film of all time. Set in a fictional village of Dakshina Kannada, Kantara brings alive the traditional culture of Kambla and Bhootha Kola. It is believed that Demigods are the guardians and their energies encircle the village. In the story, there is a ripple when a battle of ego swirls among the traditions and culture of the land. In a conflict between humanity and nature, Shiva is in rebellion and working against the latter. He engages in intense conflicts leading up to a war between the villagers and evil forces.