Decoding Kantara: Nature-Man-Spirit Complex

 

                                            

Kantara, a Kannada movie that was released last year became a blockbuster hit. It is of interest to the viewers as it depicts the nature-human conflict and critiques the mainstream narratives of development and crony capitalism.

It is a visual treat to anthropologists and sociologists as it beautifully weaves together the elements of traditional folklore, mythology, and legends. The concept of the Nature-Man-Spirit Complex is extremely helpful to understand the plot of this movie. This concept was propounded by famous anthropologist L.P. Vidyarthi for the study of Sauria Paharia tribe (also known as Maler), residing in the hilly and forested areas of Bihar. He analysed the complex interaction between Maler and their natural habitat (i.e., hills and forests) and the role of the different spirits (called Gossaiyan) to regulate their lifeworld in his book The Maler: Nature-Man-Spirit Complex in a Hill Tribe of Bihar (1963).

Malers are dependent on their hills and forests for various reasons. Their livelihood is forest-based as they practice shifting/ Jhum cultivation and collect different forest products like fruits, berries, and herbal medicines. Even their different spirits reside in the forests and hills. They worship different spirits like Beru Gossaiyan/ Sun, Belpu Gossaiyan/ Moon, Bindke Gossaiyan/ Stars, and many more. Apart from these, they worship three village deities – Chal Gossaiyan. Raksi Gossaiyan and Kando Gossaiyan.

Coming back to the plot of the movie, the storyline unfolds over two centuries. It begins in 1847 with the granting of land to the villagers by the King in exchange for taking up their deity’s stone with him as it provided immense happiness to the King. His successors are forbidden by Daiva to take back the land from the villagers otherwise they must face the wrath of Daiva.

There are two deities- Panjurli Daiva and Guliga Daiva that are shown in the movie. Panjurli Daiva meant Boar Guardian spirit which is the ruler of the land. Guliga Daiva is the Kshetrpaal/ protector of the boundaries of the land ruled by Panjurli Daiva. Guliga Daiva is more violent in comparison to the Panjurli Daiva and his spirit resides in the stone which is invoked only at times of perceived danger by the people. To worship both deities, Bhoota Kola is performed annually during which the performer’s body is possessed. Villagers perform Bhoota Kola to appease the Boar guardian spirit or Panjurli Daiva as in ancient times the crops were destroyed by the wild boars.

Fast forwarding to the 1960s, the king’s successor becomes greedy for the land and coerces the Bhoota Kola performer to convince the villagers to hand over the land to him. However, when challenged to prove that he is truly possessed by the Daiva, the performer vanishes in the forest and the King’s successor dies outside the court while vomiting blood.

Later in 1990, three main players emerge in the storyline. Murali is the government forest officer who is assigned the task to convert the villagers’ land into a forest reserve. Devendra Sutturu is the landlord of the village and son of the King’s successor family who died in front of the court. Shiva, the protagonist is the son of the disappeared Bhoota Kola performer. The storyline moves ahead with the feud between Murali and Shiva and the manipulation of Shiva by Devendra Sutturu (landlord) for securing his claim on the villager’s land. It is interesting to watch the unfolding of these events and how in the end Murali and Shiva join hands against the landlord to fight for saving the innocent villagers. Shiva is chosen by destiny and Daiva to avenge the death of his cousin Guruva (Bhoota Kola Performer in the current generation) who is murdered by the landlord. The most powerful and fascinating part of the movie is the climax scene where Shiva enters a trance and is possessed by Daiva to fight against the landlord. The viewers feel mesmerized by the divine energy put in this scene by Shiva (the lead actor Rishabh Shetty).

Just like Malers described by Vidyarthi, this movie depicts the interdependence of villagers on their Jungle and Jameen. Their deities or Daivas are regarded as the powerful protectors of people and land. The supernatural phenomenon depicted in the movie can be analysed by using another concept of Vidyarthi (1961) - the sacred complex. It comprises three aspects- sacred geography, sacred specialist, and sacred performance. If you have watched the movie, you will be able to figure out these three aspects of the Sacred complex in the movie. The villagers’ land becomes sacred land as it was granted to them by the King on the order of Daiva who agrees to accompany the King on this condition only. King’s descendants must face the wrath of Daiva when they challenge the authority and existence of Daiva. Shiva is destined to become a Kola performer like his disappeared father as the practice of becoming the ritual specialist (like a Shaman) is continued within the same family over the generations. The performance of Bhoota Kola and possession of Daiva is a sacred performance when the divine powers enter the body of a specialist.  Various offerings of food items are made to please and pacify the Daiva. During the climax scene, Shiva takes out the sword from the land and touched it to a stone smeared with blood and engraved with a trident symbol. This was the same sword dropped by the King and now the landlord/ his descendant is killed by the same sword as he breaks the promise of the King.  Kantara means mystical or enchanted forest that is in between the realms or connects this ordinary world to the supernatural world. So mysteriously Shiva, like his father during the Kola performance disappears into the forest in the last scene of the movie. 

 

 

The movie tries to answer the underlying question that is to whom the land belongs- whether the government, which aims to protect the land by declaring it a forest reserve and evicting the villagers, the landlord who claims his ownership over the land, or the local villagers who depend on the forests for multiple reasons. In this movie, we see the complex interaction of the social and spiritual world of villagers to ensure and protect their land and forest rights.