The film stars Rishab Shetty in a dual role as a Kambala champion who is at loggerheads with an upright forest officer named Murali (played by Kishore).

The action sequences were choreographed by Vikram More, while the production design was managed by debutant Dharani Gange Putra.

The film was released on 30 September 2022 to critical acclaim, with praise for its cast performances (particularly those of Shetty and Kishore), direction, soundtrack, and the portrayal of Bhuta Kola.

It was a major commercial success and emerged as the second highest-grossing Kannada film of all time after K.G.F: Chapter 2, released the same year.

Kantara was featured at the 54th IFFI Indian panorama section,[23] where it won the Silver Peacock - Special Jury Award.

As warned and professed by the performer, a few months later on the steps of the court, the king's successor dies mysteriously of heart attack, where he was going to argue the land case.

Shiva is backed by his patron and the village's landlord, Devendra Suttooru, who is the king's descendant in the present.

Although Shiva has repeatedly been asked to perform the Bhoota Kola, he refuses due to the trauma of his father's disappearance.

Murali and his staff start erecting a fence along the earmarked forest reserve and Shiva falls in love with his friend Leela.

After Shiva reveals that Devendra killed Guruva, he and Murali set aside their grudge and unite the village.

Costume designer Pragathi Shetty stated that the makers "travelled the entire village and met the tribal community, who gave details about their dress".

[27] The set involved a village, including rustic homes with cowsheds, coops for hens, courtyards, areca plantations and an authentic Kambala racetrack.

Shetty learned about the intricacies of Kambala and trained for four months before performing the sequence for the film in early 2022.

Mostly involving folk music represented using Jaanapada songs using traditional instruments, the team took was assisted by Mime Ramdas.

Songs usually sung by common people during crop harvest and those popular among the tribals of the area were used as a part of the album and the background score.

[29] When the film was released on Amazon Prime, the song was modified with a new orchestral arrangement and vocals while the lyrics remained the same.

[30] After a brief legal battle, the plagiarism case was finally dismissed by the Kerala High Court on 25 October 2023 after the parties involved reached a private settlement and the original song was returned to the movie.

[39] The satellite rights of the film were acquired by Star India Network for the Kannada, Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam and Tulu languages.

[81] India's largest Hindi language newspaper Dainik Bhaskar reported the collections to be ₹446 crores at the end of 68 days.

[107] Muralidhara Khajane of The Hindu wrote "Rishab Shetty succeeds in meticulously bringing a tale of myths, legends and superstition, and that too in his native dialect".

He commended the acting performances of Shetty and Kishore, and further wrote, "The locations are colourful and vivid, and the background music by B. Ajaneesh Loknath represents the ethos of the land.

Cinematographer Arvind S Kashyap's meditative shots showcase the native culture and capture the rustic locales in their grandeur.

[108] A. Sharadhaa of The New Indian Express called the film "a compelling revenge-action drama with a neat blend of crime and divinity".

They wrote, "Rishab Shetty, the actor, is particularly effective in the film and that's because he is fully aware of the pitch and tone of his performance.

He looks the right shape and size for a Kambala sportsman and exudes a fine balance of naivety and arrogance when it comes to the 'manly' side of his personality".

However, they felt that the "writing falters a bit" in that "repetitive scenes dished out about... ideological differences" of the central characters.

[111] Vivek M. V of Deccan Herald's rated the film 3.5/5 and felt the same in relation to Leela's character, while adding that the plotline meant Kishore's performance was "forced to remain one-note".

[112] The Government of Karnataka, in response to the movie, has initiated a monthly allowance for Buta Kola performers who are above the age of 60.

[117] The song "Varaha Roopam" was mired in controversy when the popular Kerala band Thaikkudam Bridge accused the makers of plagiarism.

The Kozhikode District Sessions Court imposed an interim injunction, temporarily barring the use of "Varaha Roopam" on streaming platforms without Thaikkudam Bridge's permission.