Viewers asked to abstain from smoking, alcohol and meat before watching Kantara Chapter 1? Rishab Shetty clears the air

Director Rishab Shetty clarified that viewers should abstain from alcohol and meat before watching Kantara Chapter 1, which was unauthorised.

A viral social media post recently stirred confusion among fans of the upcoming film Kantara: Chapter 1. The post claimed that those excited to watch the film should abstain from alcohol, smoking, and non-vegetarian food until its release. The message, framed as a self-driven movement called Kantara Sankalpa, quickly spread across platforms, but director and lead actor Rishab Shetty has now stepped forward to set the record straight.

A viral post urged fans of Kantara: Chapter 1 to avoid alcohol and meat until the film's release, causing confusion.

A post on Kantara Sankalp is making rounds on social media

During a press conference in Bengaluru, Rishabh categorically denied any association between the film’s production team and the viral post. He confirmed that the message was unauthorised, unofficial, and had no connection to the film’s promotional activities.

“Nobody has the right to question one's eating or personal habits. These are left to individual mindset and personal choice. Somebody uploaded a fake post, and it came to our notice. They’ve since deleted it and apologised," Rishabh said.

Rishabh shared that he was shocked when the post first surfaced and immediately alerted the production team to verify its origin.

“I was shocked when I got to know about it. I sent it to our group and asked who had done this. What will people think? We have nothing to do with it. When a film is trending or has a strong narrative, some people try to latch on and gain traction for their own agenda. But we don’t focus on that and thankfully, many on social media also called it out for being fake,” he added.

Shetty also spoke about the challenges of responding swiftly to misinformation online, noting that this wasn’t the first time such unrelated stories had cropped up around the Kantara franchise.

About Kantara Chapter 1

Kantara: Chapter 1 stars Rishab Shetty in the lead, reprising his role from the original while also directing the film. The cast includes Sapthami Gowda, Achyuth Kumar, Kishore and Gulshan Devaiah.

Set as a prequel to the 2022 blockbuster Kantara, this chapter delves into the origins of the divine conflict between man, nature, and faith. Rooted in Keralan and coastal Karnataka folklore, the story explores the emergence of a mysterious deity and the ancestral forces that protect the forest.