While widely praised, some scholarly work critiques the film's portrayal of gender and caste. The paper Indigenous Epistemology and the Representation of Women addresses concerns about the marginalization of female characters and the "toxic masculinity" embodied by the protagonist.
A study published in Springer highlights the film's significance in bringing indigenous knowledge and local customs—specifically "ecologies of knowledges"—to the forefront of mainstream discussion to bridge deep social divisions. While widely praised, some scholarly work critiques the
The paper The Politics of Storytelling and Ecological Agency in the film Kantara argues that the film transcends conventional cinema to become a powerful agent of ecological discourse. It examines how the legend of the forest deity intertwines with indigenous struggles against displacement and exploitative development. While widely praised