Kantara: Chapter 1's portrayal of tribal life has been contrasted with that of Tamil films. Krithika Srinivas, a social media user, analyzed that Tamil films love to show tribals as "sad, oppressed souls stuck in a trench somewhere". On the other hand, Kannada films prefer to "vibe with tribal culture, showcasing their traditions with pride, color, and a whole lot of style". She critiques the two contrasting portrayals, saying, "One is busy digging metaphorical graves, the other is dancing around sacred fires!"
It's not black-and-white, though. Tamil films like Paruthiveeran or Jai Bhim do dive into tribal issues with grit, but they can sometimes overplay the victim card. Kannada films like Kantara or Rangitaranga go hard on the pride and mysticism, but they might gloss over real struggles for the sake of aesthetics. "Both have their strengths—Tamil cinema’s raw emotional depth and Kannada’s vibrant cultural showcase. It’s less about one being better and more about different storytelling lenses," a critic argues.
Telugu films, on the other hand, don't bother much. That's because Tollywood doesn't make dramas, and any depiction in gritty or period-based narratives is an imitation of what others have done. Only a few films, like RRR, have been original.
