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5 South Indian movies like Kantara: Mammootty’s Bramayugam to Kiccha Sudeep’s Vikrant Rona
If you loved Kantara, check out these five South Indian movies that similarly celebrate Indigenous culture and traditions.
The audience is loving South Indian movies like Kantara, the kind that stay with you for days. The 2022 release Kantara is one of the milestone blockbusters to have come from the biggest film industry- Sandalwood. Rishab Shetty, the director and lead actor of Kantara, brought Indian Culture forward and managed to put Indian cinema to the global map yet again.
He tried to unearth the deep-rooted history and culture of Southern Karnataka through this movie.
The storyline of Kantara brings alive the folklore of that region and, especially, the practices like Bhoota Kola and Yakshagana.
Business-wise Kantara started slow at the box office, but the film grew into a pan-Indian blockbuster with extraordinary word of mouth. Today, Kantara is the highest-grossing Kannada movie in Karnataka beating KGF 2. A sequel to Kantara has been announced with Rishabh Shetty returning as the director and lead actor.
Let’s take a look at five such South Indian movies with similar themes, like that of Kantara.
1. Bramayugam (2024)
- Cast: Mammootty, Arjun Ashokan
- Duration: 138 minutes
- Genre: Mystery Horror Thriller
- Where to watch: Sony Liv
Bramayugam is a Malayalam masterpiece directed by Rahul Sadasivan. This movie tries to reach out and unearth the mysteries of the sacred myths, mythology, and folklore that are prevailing in North Kerala. The film is built around the lead actor Mammootty, who played the role of Koduman Potty, a black magician living in the 17th century in North Kerala. The entire movie was shot in black and white.
While Kantara was based on some cultural practices of South Karnataka, Bramayugam is rooted in ancient practices prevalent in North Kerala. The film metaphorically talks about power and politics as well.
2. Karthikeya (2014)
- Cast: Nikhil Siddhartha, Swati Reddy
- Duration: 115 minutes
- Genre: Mystery thriller
- Where to watch: Prime Video
Karthikeya is a 2014 Telugu mystery film directed by Chandoo Mondeti, starring Nikhil Siddhartha and Swati Reddy in the lead roles. This movie was partially inspired by a real incident that took place in the Talupulamma temple located in the Kakinada district of Andhra Pradesh.
The story is based on a Subramanyapuram temple that was closed due to a series of mysterious deaths. Whosoever visits the temple gets bitten by snakes and dies. So when Karthikeya, a medical student who is also an atheist, decides to unravel the mystery, he unveils several hidden truths. Karthikeya is an absolute must-watch if you are into mystery thrillers.
3. Asuran (2019)
- Cast: Dhanush, Manju Warrier
- Duration: 140 minutes
- Genre: Revenge
- Where to watch: Prime Video
The 2019 film Asuran directed by Vetrimaaran, starring Dhanush, is a Tamil film that speaks about caste politics and farmers' problems, as in Kantara. However, Asuran is a revenge drama about a farmer's son being killed by a wealthy upper caste landlord. Other than Dhanush, Manju Warrier has played an important role in this movie.
4. Odiyan (2018)
- Cast: Mohanlal, Manju Warrier, Prakash Raj
- Duration: 167
- Genre: Mystery drama
- Where to watch: ZEE5
Odiyan is a 2018 Malayalam film inspired by the rich folklore of Kerala, basically that of Palakkad. The plot of Odiyan is about the ‘Odiyans’, who, being gifted with supposed powers, change into animal-like features so that they can hunt on humans.
Mohanlal plays the role of Odiyan Manikyam, who belonged to one of the last of his breeds. It is said that Odiyans would strike in the dark, and by local beliefs, they became extinct with the coming of electricity in Kerala. Odiyan offers one different kind of cinema experience, staying true to the rich folklore and cultural heritage of ancient Kerala.
5. Vikrant Rona (2022)
- Cast: Kiccha Sudeep, Jacqueline Fernandez
- Duration: 147 minutes
- Genre: Mystery thriller
- Where to watch: ZEE5
Vikrant Rona is a mystery action thriller from the Kannada film industry, directed by Anup Bhandari and Kiccha Sudeep in the central role. The film is placed in a fantasy village, at some unknown period in history, when mysterious happenings and the disappearance of children. Vikrant Rona, played by Kiccha Sudeep is a newly appointed cop who has to unravel the mystery in this ghostly town.
The whole plot of the film revolves around whether Vikrant Rona can solve the case or not. If you like horror mystery genre with indigenous elements of Karnataka with a strong dose of Kiccha Sudeep star charisma, then Vikrant Rona will give you 100% entertainment.
With Kantara 2 announced, which will be made on a bigger canvas, the trend of village-centric movies with folklore elements has gone up. Just like Kantara, many films will be dealing with these high-voltage cultural subjects, bringing to life the tales and traditions deeply rooted in the rural landscapes of this country.
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