Kantara: Kamal Haasan says Rishab Shetty’s film has shades of MT’s classic Nirmalyam

When some of the biggest names in Indian cinema appreciate something you’ve done, it’s a proud moment that ought to be shared. Kannada filmmaker-actor Rishab Shetty has been receiving a lot of love from several quarters for his film Kantara, like, for instance, Rajinikanth, who met him, called the film one that happens once in 50 years and gave him a gold chain. Pictures of their meeting that Rishab had shared had gone viral earlier.

The latest to reach out to the hitmaker is none other than veteran actor Kamal Haasan. Sharing a framed image of the letter that Kamal sent him, Rishab wrote, “It means a lot to receive such a lovely message from Legend of Indian cinema. Too overwhelmed and awestruck to see this surprise gift from Kamal sir.”

The note, meanwhile, read, “Dear Rishab Ji, This is a belated appreciation letter for your Kantara. I should have written it the very night I I saw it. Had I done that, the letter may not have said enough. A film like Kantara stays in your mind and blossoms. I am a godless man, yet I understand the need for one in most. I truly believe compassion is lacking in gods depicted in most of our mythology. We of the Dravidian stock are a matriarchal society. That is seen in the last scene of your film, where the god behaves like a mother, rather than a testosterone father that he started of as.”

Kamal added, “There are many unspoken subtests that even you may not have intended but will be discovered by other minds. That is how a work of art gains the status of a classic. I know you could not have seen a film called Nirmalyam by MT Vasudevan Nair. Your film has shades of that classic. Your cinematic DNA has many forefathers you may not know of, but remember that the cinematic language you speak, came from them.”

Kantara, which released in theatres on September 30, recently celebrated 100 days at the box office. The film, which amassed a massive Rs 400 crore and counting, has been available to stream on Amazon Prime Video and Netflix for a while.