Kantara star Rishab Shetty attends Daiva Kola festival in Mangalore | Photos

Kannada actor-filmmaker Rishab Shetty became a pan-India sensation with his 2022 film, Kantara, which not only took the domestic box office by storm but also gave Kannada cinema global recognition. The actor, who is currently busy with the prequel of Kantara, recently attended Daiva Kola festivities in Mangalore, Karnataka. Photos of which are going viral on social media.

Rishab Shetty attends Daiva Kola festival

Rishab Shetty was invited by Swamiji Vajradehi Shri of Vajradehi Mutt at the festival where he also took the blessing of Panjurli.

Daiva Kola is also referred to as Buta Kola which is a shamanistic dance performance prevalent among the Hindus and Tulu Nadu and parts of Malenadu of Karnataka and Kasargod in northern Kerala. The dance is highly stylised and performed as part of Bhootaradhane or worship of the local deities worshipped.  

A Buta Kola is an annual ritual performance where local spirits or deities are channelled by ritual specialists from certain communities such as Nalike, Pambada or Parawa.

Will Rishab Shetty essay on the role of Lord Shiva in Kantara prequel?

In the previous film, Rishab Shetty's character is named Shiva who gets possessed as the vessel for the god at the film's end and embraces the tradition of the Panjuri festival in the end.

Now speculations have been ripped that the film will be set in 300-401 AD, during the reign of the Kadamba dynasty in the present-day Uttar Kannada district of Karnataka.

Kantara Chapter 1 teaser released in November 2023

After a lot of anticipation, the team unveiled the first look teaser of Kantara Chapter 1 in November. Rishab Shetty was seen donning a fierce avatar while staring with fury at the moon with his appearance being like a boar with blood covered all over him. He also held a blood-stained Trishul in his one hand.

The Trishul in Hindu mythology is known to be a prime weapon of Lord Shiva which has been an underlying folklore present in the making of the previous film as well. The role is, however, not confirmed by the makers yet.

The film is set on a massive budget and the casting of the film is still underway. The film is produced by Vijay Kiragandur under the banner of Hombale Films. Ajaneesh Loknath is scoring the music for the film.

(With inputs from ANI)