Rishab Shetty’s mythological fantasy action drama Kantara: Chapter 1 is still going strong at the box office, with no signs of slowing down. Opening on October 2, the much-awaited prequel to the 2022 hit Kantara has already raked in a whopping Rs 290.25 crore in six days, as per Sacnilk figures.
Nourished deeply in the tradition, rituals, and folklore of Tulu Nadu region in coastal Karnataka, the film has found favour across languages with the audience. On its opening Tuesday alone (October 7), the film collected Rs 33.5 crore — recording a 6.35% increase in daily collections. Kannada gave the highest of Rs 13 crore, followed by Rs 11 crore by the Hindi version, Rs 4.75 crore by Telugu, Rs 2.5 crore by Tamil, and Rs 2.25 crore by Malayalam markets.
The movie, penned, directed by, and featuring Rishab Shetty, delves into the mythological origins and family conflicts hinted at in the original movie. Based in pre-colonial coastal Karnataka, Shetty depicts Naga Sadhu — a mystical man with extraordinary powers traversing paths of spirituality, worship, and folklore, interwoven with high-octane action.
Chapter 1 also features Jayaram, Rukmini Vasanth, and Gulshan Devaiah in important roles. Directed by Vijay Kiragandur and Chaluve Gowda under Hombale Films, the movie has been getting immense acclaim from both audience and critics alike, particularly for world-building, gripping script, and immersive visuals.
Audience attendance continues to be strong in all formats and languages. Kannada occupancy on October 7 was a whopping 78.90%, while night shows witnessed a peak at 88.34%. Evenings and afternoon shows also recorded high attendance, at 84.15% and 86.37% respectively. Telugu, Hindi, Tamil, and Malayalam occupancies stood at 30.85%, 32.90%, 37.76%, and 33.80% respectively — an indicator of the film’s pan-India appeal.
In terms of regional holds, the Kannada version of the film experienced record-breaking attendance in Tumakuru, Kundapura, and Shivamogga, and the Hindi version fared well in Pune with over 50.50% occupancy. The other cities of Mumbai, Chennai, Jaipur, Bhopal, and Kolkata also witnessed good response.
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Kantara: Chapter 1 is releasing in various premium formats such as IMAX, 4DX, D-Box, ICE, Dolby Cinema, and EPIQ — upgrading the movie-going experience. Having failed to show any signs of tapering off and with three weeks of open run still remaining, the movie is already on its way to surpassing key box office thresholds, perhaps emerging as one of the biggest Indian movies of 2025.
