India, Oct. 2 -- Chapter 1, I could not help but feel that the film, like the original Kantara, was an elaborate setup for a visually splendid payoff. The film tests your patience, exhausts you, and frustrates you before eventually rewarding you with what is one of the most visually stunning climaxes in recent times. Yet, while the original Kantara held it all together, Chapter 1 seems to be nudging the viewer to just wait for that payoff and ignore the bumpy ride along the way. Does it take the sheen away a bit? Certainly. Is Kantara Chapter 1 still a watchable film? Immensely so! Despite the unevenness and drab moments, Rishab Shetty yet again scripts a theatrical spectacle that can only be experienced, not explained.

Kantara: Chapter ...