'Kantara: Chapter 1' Box-Office: Rishab Shetty's Film Grosses ₹600 Crore Worldwide; Eyes 'Chhaava' Record

Actor-filmmaker Rishab Shetty's latest epic Kantara: Chapter 1 is refusing to slow down at the box-office. The film netted over ₹100 crore in its second weekend domestically, continuing its fantastic trending since it opened to acclaim on October 2.

According to industry tracker Sacnilk, Kantara: Chapter 1 has grossed over ₹500 crore domestically (around ₹440 crore net) and hit the ₹600 crore worldwide milestone. It has become the second Indian film of the year to cross the ₹500 crore gross mark domestically after Vicky Kaushal-led Chhaava.

Kaushal's roaring epic had grossed ₹716 crore in India, with a worldwide gross of over ₹800 crore. Based on the life of Sambhaji Maharaj, the Laxman Utekar directorial remains the biggest global hit of the year so far. Kantara: Chapter 1 will now be eyeing the record of Chhaava.

The prequel has already crossed the record of Kantara, which had grossed over ₹400 crore globally in 2022. The final total of the film will depend on how it performs this week at the box-office, as the period epic has an open run this week. The records of Chhaava can be broken or matched depending on how it fares during the Diwali holiday period.

Directed by and starring Shetty, Kantara: Chapter 1 features a powerful supporting cast including Rukmini Vasanth, Jayaram, and Gulshan Devaiah. Its immersive world is elevated by B Ajaneesh Loknath’s score, Arvind S Kashyap’s cinematography, and editing by Suresh Mallaiah.

Set in pre-colonial coastal Karnataka, the film explores the ancient roots of the Buta Kola ritual, infusing it with the regional lore and history and blending spirituality and action. The film was backed by Vijay Kiragandur and Chaluve Gowda under Hombale Films, which has also produced blockbusters like the KGF and Salaar franchises. Their last release, the mythological animation feature Mahavatar Narsimha, was also a surprise hit.