Kantara Chapter 1 opens worldwide with strong India debut

Kantara Chapter 1, the long-awaited prequel to the 2022 hit Kantara written, directed by and starring Rishab Shetty, opened worldwide on October 2, 2025, and delivered a major box office debut during the Gandhi Jayanti and Dussehra holiday window. Industry trackers and trade distributors reported the film earned roughly Rs 60–62 crore net in India on its first day and maintained robust weekend momentum, with several trackers putting the domestic total at about Rs 200 crore by the end of the first four days and near Rs 255 crore after five days.

Produced by Hombale Films, the period folk-action drama was released in multiple languages, including Kannada, Hindi, Telugu, Tamil and Malayalam, and in premium formats such as IMAX, 4DX and Dolby Cinema. The film’s opening-day strength was driven by high occupancy in its home market of Karnataka and strong advance sales; distributors and exhibitors said evening and weekend shows recorded heavy footfalls and numerous housefull screenings across the country. Social media and audience videos showed intense reactions at screenings, while fans and some industry peers publicly lauded Shetty’s work. In a post after the release, Shetty wrote,...