‘Kantara: Chapter 1’ Box Office: The Rishab-Rukmini Film Opens With ₹60 Crore

Rishab Shetty’s prequel, Kantara: Chapter 1, has opened with impressive numbers at the box office. The pan-Indian film, a prequel to his 2022 hit Kannada film of the same name, raked in approximately ₹64 crore in India's net collections on October 2, according to Sacnilk.

The film, which was released in various languages, including Kannada, Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, and Hindi, has already crossed the opening day numbers of popular Hindi hits such as Saiyaara ( ₹22 crore), Sikandar ( ₹26 crore), and Chhaava ( ₹31 crore), according to Hindustan Times. The Kannada prequel did 19.5 crores in its Hindi version on opening day.

The October 2 release co-stars Rukmini Vasanth, Jayaram, Gulshan Devaiah, and Prakash Thuminad. Revolving around a fight for identity and rights, Kantara: Chapter 1 is set against the backdrop of the Kadamba dynasty, where a battle between a kingdom and a forest tribe ensues. The film, written and directed by Rishab Shetty, is aided by a solid technical hand behind the scenes. Anirudh Mahesh and Shanil Gowtham serve as co-writers, Arvind S. Kashyap is the cinematographer, and Ajaneesh Loknath is responsible for the film’s music.

The Hollywood Reporter India’s review of the film read, “With the original Kantara’s rousing climax, we all knew what Shetty, as an actor and director, was capable of in the context of writing and performing the Guliga. But Shetty, respectful of the Tulu folk tradition’s rich history, reminds us of the endless possibilities of the Kola tradition in the prequel.”

While the film is enjoying an impressive run at the cinemas, production company Hombale Films put out an advisory, requesting audiences to refrain from sharing spoilers and videos on social media. “Dear #Kantara Family and Cinema Lovers, #KantaraChapter1 is as much yours as ours, and your love has made it truly unforgettable. We humbly request you not to share/record videos from the film and not to encourage piracy. Let’s keep the magic of Kantara alive in theatres, so everyone can feel it the way it was meant to be,” their tweet read.