Kantara: A legend (2022) is an anthropological action thriller film that flags off issues of tribal and forest land encroachment,  tribal assertion, misogyny, myth and religion.

Introduction

Kantara: A legend (2022) is a remarkable entry into the cinema industry on one of the most neglected subjects in Indian cinema. This is an anthropological action thriller that flags off issues of tribal, forest, and land encroachment in rural India from a historical perspective. It provides three narratives of land encroachment by Zamindars, tribals and forest officers/state actors. Further, it captures the everyday life of people as it focuses on tribal assertion, misogyny, untouchability, women empowerment, role conflict, spirituality and community consciousness.

Shiva: symbol of tribal assertion

Rishab Shetty‘s storytelling is gripping, as is his portrayal of Shiva, a person who oscillates between irresponsibility and divinity. The protagonist Shiva has been depicted as fun-loving on one hand and assertive on the other. He is seen voicing against discrimination practiced by the Zamindar and his associates against his community members, by entering the house of zamindar and eating across the same table, exclaiming that ‘zamindar can enter the house of tribals than why cannot the tribals walk into the house of zamindar.  Further, when the forest officer says that the forest is government property and tribals are using it without permission, Shiva revolts saying that the ‘government must take permission from villagers to enter here because forest belongs to them and they have been here for generations.’ Akin to mainstream Indian cinemas, this movie also depicts a male protagonist as a saviour celebrating male supremacy and masculinity through the character of Shiva.

Women empowerment, misogyny and role conflict

As a marginalised community, tribals had little access to education. The movie ‘Kantara’ showed Except for ‘Leela’, most villagers in Kantara are illiterate. ‘Leela’ is an educated girl who aspires to join government services instead of joining the traditional occupations of her community. She succeeds by clearing the forest guard examination and is posted in the forest office of her village. After, joining duty she is caught between contradictory expectations. The forest department was against the villagers and it instructed her to follow the government order of land eviction. On the other hand, her family, villagers, and her beloved Shiva were not in favour of her job; knowing that she has been used against the villagers in matters of land encroachment. They instruct her to leave the job. She was torn between her desire to continue the job for which she had worked so hard or to support the villagers, her people. On many occasions, women have to sacrifice and are expected to compromise in a patriarchal society. Leela does not compromise.

Land Encroachment

Land and forest have immense value in tribal life deeply connected with their livelihood, culture, religion and identity. There are three narratives of land encroachment: 1) the narrative of land encroachment by Zamindars, 2) the narrative of land encroachment by tribals and 3) the narrative of Land encroachment by forest officers/state actors. These narratives have established a dialogue with each other through the idea of land acquisition. The zamindar’s perspective suggests that the land belongs to him because it was owned by his ancestor who was a king and gave the land to the tribals being fooled in the name of ‘Deiva’. Therefore, he leaves no stone unturned to get back his land. The second narrative is of the state, represented by forest officers. It shows that land and forest belong to the government and villagers have forcibly captured them without permission of the government. The state’s perspective suggests that the state wanted to declare the region as a reserved forest by using its authority and rule of law. This step renders the zamindar’s legal inheritance documents null and void, simultaneously conferring the tribals as criminal tribals who exploit forest resources and hunt wildlife in the name of survival. The third perspective is of the people, who consider themselves as real inhabitants of the forest, occupants of the region, who shared an ancestral past, religion, culture, and memory with the forest. Therefore, the inhabitants consider the ‘state’ and ‘zamindar’ as outsiders and refute all other narratives. This suggests that the state has entered their territory without taking the permission of villagers. The tribal perspective focuses on tribal autonomy over land and forest resources whereas the state claims to assert and establish its rule of law. The concluding scene of the movie leads us to develop a perspective of harmony and cooperation from the different stakeholders. It shows that after killing the Zamindar and his goons, the villagers celebrate the Kola festival where ‘Daiva’ possessed Shiva and invite the villagers, and forest officers to hold their hands together on his chest; by giving the message of cooperation and integration. The movie develops a perspective of protection, not only of the forest but also of tribal people who are living in those forests and their culture, religion, history and memories.

Conclusion

Kantara has shown what life in remote hamlets of tribal areas is all about – their everyday life, their rituals, their drinking habits, their food, their simple living and finally, their belief in the tradition and reverence to their Gods.  There is also the way of life of the tribals in their hunting, their forestry produces, and their land – which the government believes has been encroached upon. Religion and religious festivals have great meaning in the life of tribals. Tribal religion is associated with land, forest, and nature. The Kola festival is a depiction of such a picture of coexistence of people, nature, and mythical objects. The Kola festivals appear as a site of solidarity and togetherness among the villagers. These themes have been woven like a fine tapestry of music, dance and drama. Kantara takes folks back to their roots, traditions, and rich and varied culture. This movie offers a perspective of cooperation and solidarity to tackle issues related to the forest. It makes us think about development and empowerment beyond displacement, deforestation and absorption.

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Kanchan Biswas is a Ph.D Research Scholar at the Centre for the Study of Social Systems (CSSS), School of Social Sciences, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi. Dr Kumuda Chandra Panigrahi is an Assistant Professor of Sociology at the Department of Rural Studies, Visva-Bharati University, Santiniketan, West Bengal.