Kataka (film)

Kataka
Film poster
Directed byRavi Basrur
Written byRavi Basrur
Produced byN. S. Rajkumar
Starring
CinematographySachin Basrur
Edited byRavi Basrur
Music byRavi Basrur
Production
company
Omkar Movies
Distributed byKRG Studios
Release date
  • 13 October 2017 (2017-10-13)
Running time
107 minutes[1]
CountryIndia
LanguageKannada

Kataka (transl. Crab or Cancer) is a 2017 Kannada horror film, written and directed by Ravi Basrur.[2] The film marks Basrur's directing debut, which is based on a number of true incidents that occurred in the coastal region of Karnataka.[3]

Kataka has been dubbed into 15 languages and is the first Kannada film to be dubbed into English.[4] The film portrays real-life scenarios (culture of coastal India) with a horror-like ambiance.[5]

Plot

Tired of the hustle and bustle of city life, Kumar returns to his native village along with his wife Vandhana and their four-year-old daughter Kavya.[6] Though having to leave at the age of four following his mother's death, he has always loved his village and its culture—eventually bringing him back.[7]

With the help of his uncle and a childhood friend, Kumar plans to start a school in the village to provide better education for its children. However, an ancient curse is placed on his family after his daughter unwittingly touches an enchanted item.[3] Challenges and obstacles thus begin to appear along the way, which Kumar finds difficulty in coping with. By each passing day, his enemies multiply along with his struggles. The film thereby follows Kumar as he deals with these dilemmas.[8]

Cast

  • Ashok Raj as Kumar
  • Spandana Prasad as Vandhana
  • Shlagha Saligrama as Kavya
  • Bala Rajwadi as Neelakantashastri
  • Madhav Karkada as Appu a.k.a. Subraaya
  • Ugramm Manju as Prabhakara Nambudiri[2]
  • Om Guru as Guru
  • Vijay Basrur as Neelakanta Karaba
  • Puneeth Rajkumar in a cameo appearance

Soundtrack

Kataka
Soundtrack album by
Ravi Basrur
Released29 July 2017
Recorded2017
StudioOmkar Movies
GenreFeature film soundtrack
Length4:33
LabelRavi Basrur Music
ProducerRavi Basrur
Ravi Basrur chronology
Vaira
(2017) 		Kataka
(2017) 		Mufti
(2017)

Track list

No.TitleLyricsSinger(s)Length
1."Kataka Title Track"Sachin BasrurArjun Janya, BJ Bharat, Chandan Shetty, V. Sridhar, Charan Raj, Veer Samarth2:06
2."Yake Kannu Eege"Sachin BasrurAnuradha Bhat, Supriya Lohith, Manasa Holla, Ananya Bhat2:27

Release

The film had a limited release on 13 October 2017 in 13 languages, including Kannada, English, Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, Kodava, Hindi, Punjabi, Beary, Assamese, Konkani, and Marathi.[4][9]

Kataka was the first Kannada movie to be dubbed in English.

Sequel

Ravi Basrur has announced plans to direct a sequel, albeit with new actors while retaining most of his original technical team. The plot, however, will not be a direct continuation of the first film.[10]

Reception and awards

The film received positive reviews from critics and audiences.

Along with the direction of Ravi Basrur, Shlagha Saligrama has been praised for a notable performance.[11] Saligrama won the 2017 Karnataka State Film Award for Best Child Actor (Female) and the SIIMA Special Award for Best Child Artist.[12][13] Ravi Basrur was nominated for the SIIMA Award for Best Debut Director in the Kannada category,[14][15] but lost to Tharun Sudhir for his work in chowka.[16]

References

  1. ^ "Kataka Movie Review". Times Of India movie date. 13 December 2017. Retrieved 27 May 2020.
  2. ^ a b "Kataka: Gripping horror with dramatic twists". New Indian Express. Retrieved 27 May 2020.
  3. ^ a b "Animated crab is villain in Ravi Basrur's Kataka". New Indian Express. Retrieved 27 May 2020.
  4. ^ a b "Direction is now my hobby: Ravi Basrur". New Indian Express. Retrieved 27 May 2020.
  5. ^ Kataka Movie Review {3.5/5}: Critic Review of Kataka by Times of India, retrieved 7 September 2020
  6. ^ Kataka (2017) - IMDb, retrieved 11 August 2020
  7. ^ Prasad, Shyam (13 October 2017). "Kataka movie review: Intelligent and original". Bangalore Mirror. Retrieved 7 September 2020.
  8. ^ "Kataka: Gripping horror with dramatic twists". The New Indian Express. Retrieved 7 September 2020.
  9. ^ "Puneeth Release Kataka Trailer, 13 Languages Trailer". indiaglitz. Retrieved 27 May 2020.
  10. ^ Prasad S, Shyam (18 January 2018). "'Kataka 2' to start soon". Bangalore Mirror. Retrieved 27 May 2020.
  11. ^ Prasad S, Shyam (13 October 2017). "Kataka movie review: Intelligent and original". Bangalore Mirror. Retrieved 28 May 2020.
  12. ^ Karnataka State Film Awards 2017 Announced
  13. ^ "SIIMA Awards 2018 Telugu Kannada winners list". International Business Times. 16 September 2018. Retrieved 19 January 2020.
  14. ^ "Nominations list for the SIIMA 2017 announced!". Sify.com. Archived from the original on 5 June 2017.
  15. ^ "SIIMA Awards 2018 - Telugu, Kannada nomination list out". International Business Times. 5 August 2018. Retrieved 27 May 2020.
  16. ^ "SIIMA Awards 2018 Telugu Kannada winners list". International Business Times. 16 September 2018. Retrieved 19 January 2020.