Tragic Losses Shadow Kantara’s Success

Rishab Shetty’s Kantara brought significant recognition to Kannada cinema following the success of the KGF franchise.

However the film’s prequel, Kantara: Chapter 1, has recently been linked to several controversies some of which are tragic.

Actor Rakesh Poojary, the winner of Comedy Kiladigalu Season 3 tragically passed away from a heart attack on Sunday.

He was attending a mehendi ceremony in Nitte, near Udupi, shortly after completing his shoot for the film. Despite being rushed to a nearby hospital he was declared dead.

This sad incident followed the death of a junior artist from the film who drowned while swimming during a break a few days earlier.

While neither of these incidents happened on the film’s set, they have brought unwanted attention to the film, overshadowing its success and casting a shadow over its recent legacy.

എന്തൊക്കെയാടെ ഈ സിനിമയെ ചുറ്റി പറ്റി നടക്കുന്നെ ‍‍‍#KantaraChapter2 ‍♂️‍♂️‍♂️#RishabhShetty #Kantara #Shocking #kannadiga https://t.co/nVpUhcgSoK pic.twitter.com/1T3s9FB2cV

— ʜᴇᴀʟʟᴜᴇʙᴇʟ (@TheMalluRebel) May 12, 2025