Rishab Shetty.
Credit: Instagram/@rishabshettyofficial
Rishab Shetty, who made the world turn towards the Kannada cinema, has swept the National Awards by taking home two of the most coveted accolades: Best Picture and Best Actor for his work in Kantara. The awards were announced by Rahul Rawail, head of the jury for the feature film segment, and Nila Madhab Panda, who headed the non-feature film category.
In a statement issued by Rishab, he said that, “I am truly overwhelmed by the honor of this National Award for 'Kantara.' I extend my heartfelt gratitude to everyone who has been part of this journey, the incredible team of artists, technicians and especially Hombale Films. The audiences have made this film what it is and their support fills me with a deep sense of responsibility. I am committed to working even harder to bring an even better film to our viewers. With utmost respect, I dedicate this award to oir Kannada audience, the Daiva Nartakas and Appu sir.
I thank the divine as we have reached this moment through the blessings of the Daivas.”
Kantara, a cinematic masterpiece captivated audiences across the globe and achieved a monumental victory at the National Awards and was praised for its compelling narrative, breathtaking visuals, and outstanding performances. The movie emerged as one of the biggest blockbusters of 2023 raking up over Rs. 400 crore worldwide.
Set against the backdrop of coastal Karnataka, the story of Kantara is based on the folklore involving two daivas, Panjurli and Guliga. Though the word daiva is sometimes translated to 'demigod', the origins of the latter lie in Greek mythology, where demigods exist as a sort of crossover between gods and humans, and therefore it remains a poor translation.
On the work front, Rishab Shetty is busy working on his biggest project, Kantara: Chapter 1, a hugely awaited by the fans and the audiences.