Kantara: A soul-stirring masterpiece that asserts the Hindu identity

The web and social media is replete with praise for the Kanatra movie. As of today its earning has crossed INR 200 crore. Summarily, the movie is an enthralling masterpiece that takes the audience through a fast-paced journey of imperfect human beings who are anchored by their ethos, ideals and faith. The genius of it lies in the unabashed rawness of characters and concepts that are dished out with high-intensity performances. Everything about the movie is diametrically opposite to the Bollywood’s quintessential substandard derivates. My focus is to use Kantara as an instrument for deliberating some aspects of about Hindu Dharma, worship and practices, and the complex Hindu identity.

The myth of the divide between Hindu sects

Kantara’s storyline is anchored around the Daiva, i.e. deity, of the people of coastal Karnataka region (a.k.a the Parashurama Bhumi). Like most Hindu deities, the said Daiva is the caretaker of people living in His forest. In fact, Kantara shows two related deities — Panjurli and Guliga. The former is depicted akin to the Varaha Avatara of Vishnu (the sustainer) and the latter as Mahadeva (the destroyer). The last ten minutes of Kantara are just hauntingly riveting — especially the scene where Panjurli Daiva speaks to the already dead protagonist and brings him back to life that is taken over by Guliga Daiva. The protagonist then in a Tandava-like form ravages the gang of antagonists in a bone-chilling manner.

Vishnu and Mahadeva are bulwarks in the Hindu pantheon of faiths. It is a popular (made-up) narrative that Vaishnava and Shaiva (Mahadeva) followers are often at loggerheads; this myth is extrapolated to other Hindu sects as well. Traditions and sects in Hindu Dharma may be exclusive in their worship rooms and methods; purity and non-dilution of traditions being the exacting rationales. Nonetheless, values of different sects are complementary and eternal. For example, Panjurli is complementary to Guliga — what is created will be destroyed, which is universally eternal. A similar synergy is found in depiction of Panduranga deity in Pandharpur, Maharashtra. He is worshipped as an avatar of Vishnu who has Shivalingam carved in his headdress!

The Hindu Portrayal of the Divine

The global mass-market narrative about divinity is that an all-powerful entity resides somewhere in the skies and heavens. Thus, unwavering belief in the almighty is considered paramount. It is through a few books and prophets that the divine speaks and exercises its will. Hindu Dharma, on the other hand, expounds that the divine can be experienced as Nirguna, the all-pervasive, omnipresent and formless consciousness, as well as Saguna, the manifestation of the divine in form a Daiva. The visarjana ritual of Ganesha, a beloved deity, is a classic example of reconciliation of the Saguna with the Nirguna. In Kantara, both Panjurli and Guliga are Saguna who manifest by possessing their devotees. Hindus seemingly pray to idols or pictures but with a state of mind that ultimately all their thoughts and emotion will reach the Nirguna Ishwar who permeates the Universe. This notion is perfectly described in the following shloka:

आकाशात् पतितं तोयं यथागच्छति सागरम् ।
सर्वदेव नमस्कारः केशवं प्रतिगच्छति

ākāśāt patitaṃ toyaṃ yathāgacchati sāgaram
sarvadava namaskāraḥ keśavaṃ pratigacchati

Translation: As all raindrops falling from the sky reach the ocean (directly or indirectly via rivers); so also the prayers to all deities ultimately reach Bhagwaan Keshava, i.e. the Nirguna Ishwar.

The formidable-frightening-fearsome Hindu deities

The idea of an all-forgiving God is mainstream. Forgiveness is considered to be of the highest order in a few religions. The Hindu Dharma professes that forgiveness is to be sought and atonement has to be performed. Nothing is to be taken for granted. When Adharma breaches it acceptable levels, the Daivas exact revenge for the larger good of the society. Legends of Narasimha, Ranchandi, Kaali, Parashurama etc. are replete with examples of how Adharma was crushed mercilessly. In Kantara, both Panjurli and Guliga are punitive and not always forgiving. The wily landlords are made to suffer on the account of their Adharma. Guliga, in fact, also warns the antagonist that He will not be forgiving (to return back to the forest) and will exact revenge.

My grandmother had first told me the story of bhakta Prahlada, king Hiranyakashapu and Bhagwaan Narasimha; to say that Narashimha’s portrayal is menacing is an understatement. He is a combative deity with head and strength of lion, has sharp nails, is exceptionally tall and well-built etc. One one hand, He is ruthless towards Hiranyakashapu and shreds him to pieces. On the other, He is gentle and caretaking for his devotee Prahlada, the innocent boy. Narasimha avatara depicts that the form of Ishwar may not always meet our expectation; the manifestation of Hindu deities need not be graceful and impassive necessarily.

I will end with a few lines from a great ode to the complex Hindu identity by Bharat Ratna Atal Bihari Vajpayee.

मै शंकर का वह क्रोधानल कर सकता जगती क्षार–क्षार।
डमरू की वह प्रलय–ध्वनि हूँ, जिसमे नचता भीषण संहार।
रणचंडी की अतृप्त प्यास, मै दुर्गा का उन्मत्त हास।
मै यम की प्रलयंकर पुकार, जलते मरघट का धुँआधार।
फिर अंतरतम की ज्वाला से जगती मे आग लगा दूँ मैं।
यदि धधक उठे जल, थल, अंबर, जड चेतन तो कैसा विस्मय?
हिन्दू तन–मन, हिन्दू जीवन, रग–रग हिन्दू मेरा परिचय!

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मै एक बिन्दु परिपूर्ण सिन्धु है यह मेरा हिन्दु समाज।
मेरा इसका संबन्ध अमर, मैं व्यक्ति और यह है समाज।
इससे मैने पाया तन–मन, इससे मैने पाया जीवन।
मेरा तो बस कर्तव्य यही, कर दू सब कुछ इसके अर्पण।
मै तो समाज की थाति हूँ, मै तो समाज का हूं सेवक।
मै तो समष्टि के लिए व्यष्टि का कर सकता बलिदान अभय।
हिन्दू तन–मन, हिन्दू जीवन, रग–रग हिन्दू मेरा परिचय!

Bharat Mata Ki Jai