Kantara 2 controversy: Why Rishab Shetty distanced himself from fan page 'moral policing' campaign

Dubai: The buzz around Kantara: Chapter 1 was briefly overshadowed when a fan-run social media page, styled to look like part of the film’s official campaign, urged audiences to follow “three divine steps” before heading to theatres — abstaining from alcohol, smoking, and meat on the day of viewing.

The post, branded with the film’s logo, appeared authentic and quickly went viral.

But the move backfired. Many criticised the suggestion as moral policing, pointing out that meat is an integral part of the Daiva Kola ritual in coastal Karnataka — a cultural practice that inspired the first film.

Despite the backlash, some fans signed up through a Google form linked in the post and even shared “certificates of participation” on X (formerly Twitter).

Actor-filmmaker Rishab Shetty has now firmly distanced both himself and the production house from the campaign.
“We were shocked when we saw the post. Nobody has the right to dictate another person’s food choices. How people live is entirely their decision. This has nothing to do with our production house,” Shetty said during the trailer launch in Bengaluru on Monday, September 23.

The fan page, called Kantara Parva, eventually 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.”

A coincidental release date

The controversy has been amplified by the fact that the film releases on October 2 — Mahatma Gandhi’s birth anniversary — when, by law, alcohol and meat sales are prohibited across India.

In a 2022 interview, Shetty had also spoken about voluntarily avoiding meat for several weeks before filming Kantara as part of his own spiritual preparation. However, he clarified that this was strictly a personal practice, not something he expected of audiences.

Low-key marketing strategy

Interestingly, the film’s official promotional approach has been deliberately restrained. Apart from a first-look video, no teaser was released prior to Monday’s trailer launch. The cast list, too, was kept under wraps until the event, which revealed Rukmini Vasanth as Kanakavathi and Bollywood actor Gulshan Devaiah as Kulashekara.

The trailer also introduces Berme, a bhoota worshipped in coastal Karnataka. In the first installment, Shetty had courted criticism for describing the Bhoota Kola tradition as part of Hindu culture — a claim contested by cultural historians, who stress that bhootas are distinct from gods in Brahminical Hinduism. The new film’s visuals reference both Berme and Shiva, reflecting the layered coexistence of folk traditions and mainstream religion.

What to expect from the prequel

A prequel to the 2022 blockbuster, Kantara: Chapter 1 promises a grander canvas. The trailer shows Shetty as a warrior rising against a tyrannical king, hinting at his role as a divine protector.