Actor-filmmaker Rishab Shetty distanced himself and the production house from a social media post urging audiences to abstain from alcohol, smoking and eating meat before watching Kantara: Chapter 1, saying it had nothing to do with them.
“We were shocked when we saw the post. Nobody has the right to question another person’s food choices. It is up to them how they live their life. This has nothing to do with our production house,” Rishab Shetty said at the trailer launch of the film on Monday, September 23.
The post – published on Instagram and X – by a fan page called Kantara Parva, promoted something it called Kantara Sankalpa, urging viewers to take a pledge to follow “three divine steps” – refraining from alcohol, smoking, and meat consumption – on the day of watching the film in theatres. The page also invited users to fill out a Google form to receive a “certificate of participation.”
The post, which resembled official promotions and carried the film’s logo, drew backlash online. Many even pointed out that eating meat is an integral part of the Daiva Kola ritual in coastal Karnataka. Despite the criticism, several fans signed up using the Google form, received certificates, and shared them on X (formerly Twitter).
The film’s release on October 2 coincides with Mahatma Gandhi’s birth anniversary, a day when no meat and alcohol are sold across India.
In a 2022 interview, Rishab had spoken about his own practice of not eating meat for 20–30 days before the shoot of Kantara as part of his personal preparation.
Following the uproar, the fan page deleted the post and issued an apology: “The message I posted earlier has nothing to do with the Kantara film team. It was a personal mistake on my part. Please don’t let anyone take offence. Thank you.”
Unlike conventional big-ticket promotions, Kantara: Chapter 1 has adopted a low-key marketing strategy. Apart from the first-look video, no teaser was released before Monday’s trailer launch. The film’s full cast was also kept under wraps until the event. Actor Rukmini Vasanth plays Kanakavathi, and Bollywood actor Gulshan Devaiah essays the role of Kulashekara.
The latest trailer also hints at Berme, a bhoota worshipped in coastal Karnataka. In the first part of the franchise, Rishab Shetty had suggested in an interview that the Bhoota Kola tradition of Dakshina Kannada is part of Hindu culture, a remark that had been criticised and called out by many critics.
The new trailer shows references to both Berme (a bhoota) and Shiva (a Hindu god). Bhootas, however, are distinct from the gods of Brahminical Hinduism. The custom predates the arrival of Vedic culture, with stories preserved through oral narratives or paaddanas. Many bhootas are believed to be real historical figures who fought different forms of injustice and were later deified through local traditions.
The prequel to the 2022 blockbuster will release in Kannada, along with dubbed versions in Malayalam, Hindi, Tamil and Telugu. The trailer shows Rishab Shetty as a fierce warrior rising against a tyrannical king, hinting at his role as the divine protector.
Backed by Vijay Kiragandur’s Hombale Films, Kantara: Chapter 1 features cinematography by Arvind S Kashyap, music by B Ajaneesh Loknath, production design by Banglan and editing by Suresh. The film is set to hit screens worldwide on October 2, 2025.