Last Updated:
Kantara Chapter 1 Box Office: The first part had earned over Rs 400 crore worldwide, and expectations are sky-high for this chapter.
Kantara Chapter 1 is set in the Kadamba period in Karnataka.
Kantara Chapter 1 Box Office: The prequel of Rishab Shetty’s National Award-winning film, Kantara, was released on October 2. Directed by and starring Rishab Shetty, this epic prequel explores the ancient roots of the Kantara forest, taking a deeper dive into Indian folklore. The first part had earned over Rs 400 crore worldwide, and expectations are sky-high for this chapter. Kantara: Chapter 1 has opened with Rs 60 crore, as per Sacnilk.
The portal mentioned that of the Rs 60 crore India net, around Rs 21 crore was from the Hindi dub. The 2D version of the film had an overall 88.13% Kannada occupancy, 75.34% Telugu occupancy, 71.42% Tamil occupancy, 66.61% Malayalam occupancy and 29.84% Hindi occupancy on October 2, Thursday.
Kantara Chapter 1: Cast
The film features Rishab Shetty in the lead, alongside Rukmini Vasanth, Gulshan Devaiah, Jayaram, and Rakesh Poojari. Produced by Hombale Films, it promises grand visuals, folklore-driven storytelling and powerful performances.
Kantara Chapter 1: Review
Kantara: Chapter 1 begins slowly. The entire first half of the film is used for world-building, which doesn’t make sense at first. While every attempt is made to flesh out all characters from the start, some sequences seem unnecessarily dragged out. However, the film wastes no time in the second half. The plot becomes more interesting, the pace is faster, and it ends with a shocking twist.
The elaborate action sequences get their due in the second half, and so does Rishab Shetty, the actor. A “possessed” Rishab Shetty is a force on screen. He compels you to appreciate his talent and has a natural tendency to grab your attention every time he is on screen. However, the same cannot be said about the actor in the more ‘regular’ scenes. The everyday Berme is reminiscent of Prabhas in Baahubali 1- not much to offer unless there’s a fight. Even Rukmini Vasanth usually has the same expressions.
In a time when stories rooted in Indian culture are winning big at the box office, Kantara’s prequel needed a special hinge to avoid being labelled as ‘just another folklore film’. The heart of Kantara: Chapter 1 is its music (B Ajaneesh Loknath) and visual teams. The background score and the use of classical music to drive scenes are brilliant. Similarly, the cinematography (Arvind S Kashyap) and the VFX teams deserve all the accolades for creating a texturally rich film with believable effects. The attention to detail, especially the emotions of animals, is commendable.
Kashvi Raj Singh is a Sub Editor at News18. She extensively covers Bollywood, Hollywood and television. She not only keeps an eye out for interesting news angles but also often writes social commentary in long-…Read More
Kashvi Raj Singh is a Sub Editor at News18. She extensively covers Bollywood, Hollywood and television. She not only keeps an eye out for interesting news angles but also often writes social commentary in long-… Read More
October 03, 2025, 08:40 IST
