Rishab Shetty’s prequel to his National Award-winning film, ‘Kantara’, titled ‘Kantara Chapter 1’, was released in theatres on October 2. The film features singer Diljit Dosanjh performing the Hindi version of the ‘Rebe’l Song. Shetty recently spoke about the process of bringing Dosanjh on board for the soundtrack. He highlighted that the inclusion of Dosanjh was part of an effort to feature a singer who was not from Karnataka, thereby introducing a different linguistic element to the film’s music.

In an interview with News18, Rishab Shetty discussed his search for a unique voice for the film’s soundtrack during the post-production phase in Kochi.

“I was in Kochi as the post-production of our film was underway there. At that time, we wanted to get a singer on board for a song who speaks a different language and who isn’t from Karnataka,” he said.

Shetty talked about initially wanting to work with Diljit Dosanjh, a prominent singer from outside Karnataka, but encountering a brief moment where he could not recall Dosanjh’s name. “The next morning, I suddenly thought of Diljit, but I got stuck as I couldn’t remember his name (laughs). I felt that with a strong voice like he has, he would be the perfect fit to sing Bole Re Kantara. I went back to doing my research, and then I recalled his name. I got on a conference call with my producer and the music composer. I told them that Diljit’s voice would be the perfect choice for the track. They all got really excited,” Rishab added.

When Rishab reached out to Diljit’s team, he was left stunned. “I contacted his manager, who told me that Diljit cancelled his shows and took his entire team to rewatch Kantara. I was told that he’s really fond of me and my film. Within three–four days, the plan fell into action and he came to YRF and recorded the song. And after recording, he told me that he wants to speak to me in private for five minutes,” he shared.

Shetty’s remarks underscored his dedication to bringing diversity to the film’s music.

Diljit Dosanjh’s contribution as the singer for the Hindi version of the ‘Rebel’ song marks a significant collaboration on ‘Kantara Chapter 1’.

‘Kantara: Chapter 1’ is a prequel to the 2022 film of the same name, written, directed and acted by Rishab Shetty. The period mythological drama also features Rukmini Vasanth, Jayaram, and Gulshan Devaiah in pivotal roles.

Produced by Hombale Films, the film has music composed by Ajaneesh Loknath, cinematography by Arvind S Kashyap and editing by Suresh Mallaiah.

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