duasanjay

The first half felt quite straightforward and less intense compared to the original film, which was pure thrill from start to finish. This time, the director has clearly made some changes to streamline the story.. trimming the length, resequenced the narrative while keeping the action tight, and making it easier to follow. For example, the introduction of the Mahishmati kingdom happens within the first 10 minutes, and Shiva's identity is connected very quickly (though of course, we all already know who he is). For someone watching it for the first time, it may not have the same sense of mystery or excitement as the original, and it leans a bit more towards a war movie in its tone.

But then comes the interval, and that's the real turning point. WKKB.

The second half is absolutely gripping! It feels like an entirely new film. The pace picks up, the twists come one after another, and even though we know what's coming, it's still absolutely thrilling to watch.

They've even added a few new scenes and dialogues, which make it feel fresh again.

All in all, it's a rare chance to relive this legendary saga one last time on the big screen.

The IMAX version takes it to another level, visually stunning and easily comparable to any top-tier Hollywood production.

I truly enjoyed every bit of those four hours at the cinema and become a part of cinematic history.

Kantara: Chapter 1 isn't just a film, it's an experience that feels like leafing through a living, breathing Amar Chitra Katha, each frame painted with reverence for our roots yet pulsing with contemporary relevance.

Rishab Shetty weaves a story that's ancient in its soul but urgent in its message, reminding us that leadership without humility, power without purpose, and progress without respect for nature are destined to crumble ... themes that echo powerfully in today's fractured world.

With just one dotted-line connection to its precursor and runaway hit from 2022, this chapter is bigger, wider, and crisper in everything it aspires to be and it lands far beyond even its most audacious ambition.

Set against the lush, untouched beauty of Karnataka's forests and villages, the film's authenticity is its greatest triumph. The costumes, temple like architecture, and tribal rituals don't feel like art direction , they feel lived-in, like pages torn from centuries of forgotten heritage. The camera lingers lovingly on landscapes and details, turning every scene into a postcard of India's sacred geography.

The storyline flows effortlessly, propelled by stunning cinematography, an intriguing score, and even a Hindi dubbing that retains the poetry and weight of the original language.

What begins as a tale of land, lineage, and the invisible line between divine and human crescendos into a climax so unexpected and spine-tingling that it leaves you in silent awe... a moment that proves myth, when told right, still has the power to shake modern sensibilities.

Since Baahubali, no film has blended technical brilliance and storytelling with such sincerity. And in doing so, southern Indian cinema has become more than entertainment, it has become a guardian of India's civilizational memory, preserving tradition without loud nationalism and reimagining it for a global stage.

While certain filmmakers in Mumbai continue to recycle Punjabi beats and everything immoral in between, the South is busy crafting cinema that is rooted, relevant, and revolutionary, proof that storytelling doesn't need glitter or sensationalism when it has soul.

Bollywood may have already lost its way beyond recovery, but if Kantara Series is any indication, Indian cinema's soul is alive and thriving - and it's beating fiercely in the South.

If you've ever wondered what happens when you mix stale plotlines, borrowed stunts, and music that makes you question your own taste in sound, War 2 is here to answer ...and disappoint in spectacular style.

Hrithik Roshan appears like he's been asked to film this between power naps. His expressions don't just say "I'm tired"; they whisper, "I've read the script, and my enthusiasm has left the building." The central "threat" this time? A Syndicate plotting to destabilise India...a concept so outdated, it could have been a bonus chapter in a 1986 spy novel.

And then comes the big reveal: our ever-shifting protagonist and antagonist (don't try to keep track, they swap roles so often you'd need a flowchart) are actually former street kids from Bombay footpaths. After petty thefts, both end up in a juvenile home, and in this cinematic universe, RAW's recruitment process apparently extends to remand homes (because nothing says national security like picking agents with a history of bread theft). One of the two gets selected for his patriotic delivery of deshbhakti dialog, the other doesn't inspite of better performance in a 50m steeple chase race and thus a lifelong rivalry begins.

But the twists keep coming: the antagonist is actually the protagonist, the protagonist is branded a villain, the "real" antagonist becomes a double agent inside RAW while plotting against India and somehow lands in the PM's security detail at Davos where everything right upto PM's aircraft is compromised. Fit in between, 'creatively' picturized chases between two speed boats that jump from the sea around Abu Dhabi, flying over Ferrari world and land on the F1 track where a F1 car race is actually happening . The boats successfully dodge the speeding cars from opposite direction and land back into the sea.

Another mid air action scene sees both of them successfully destroying a B2 bomber.

In yet another original move, the mastermind funding the syndicates turns out to be a minister who is a wannabe prime minister. Because nothing freshens a well-worn spy plot like adding the corrupt politician trope.

The so-called pièce de résistance? An action sequence in Italy so blatantly lifted from Mission Impossible: Dead Reckoning you half-expect Tom Cruise to stroll in and ask for royalties.

Junior NTR is the only saving grace... his energy feels like it came from a far better Telugu film and got trapped here by accident.

The rest is an exhausting mix of over-the-top set pieces, awkward execution, childish CGI and background music so intrusive it could qualify as a public health risk. If Bollywood wanted to raise a "we're completely of ideas" flag, War 2 just unfurled it in IMAX.

Pro tip: Bring a strip of Disprin tablets , not for the headache, but for the regret you'll feel afterwards for having ignored this review.

In the end of this never ending trauma, NTR returns to Tollywood and Roshan returns to familiar territory (home), because at this point only Krrish 4 might restore his balance.

The next chapter is introduced with Bobby Deol, who by the way still has a choice to walk out and save his resurgent career.