'Kantara Chapter 1': Hombale Films Drops New Poster With Rishab Shetty

Marking Kannada actor Rishab Shetty's birthday, prominent production company Hombale Films dropped a new poster from their upcoming film Kantara Chapter 1 on Monday. The film, which will serve as a prequel to the acclaimed Kannada film Kantara (2022), will be released on October 2 in Kannada, Tamil, Hindi, Malayalam, Telugu, Bengali, and English, according to the poster.

"Where legends are born and the roar of the wild echoes… #Kantara – A prequel to the masterpiece that moved millions. Wishing the trailblazing force behind the legend, @shetty_rishab , a divine and glorious birthday. The much-awaited prequel to the divine cinematic phenomenon… #KantaraChapter1 roars into cinemas worldwide on October 2nd, 2025," the makers wrote on social media. The poster features Shetty armed and clothed like a warrior who is ready to engage in battle.

The Rishab Shetty directorial is a prequel to his critically acclaimed blockbuster Kantara, a film set in a village of Dakshina Kannada, weaving a powerful tale of the nature vs human conflict. The film starred Sapthami Gowda, Kishore Kumar, and Achyuth Kumar. The prequel, which will explore the reign of the Kadambas from Karnataka, is written and directed by Rishab Shetty (with Anirudh Mahesh and Shanil Guru serving as co-writers), and has music by B Ajaneesh Loknath.

While the film faced a few setbacks on the way, including the drowning of a crew member in May, which briefly halted the shoot in May, the makers have reiterated that there will be no delay in its release.

Hombale Films will next collaborate with Hrithik Roshan for a pan-Indian feature. Vijay Kiragandur, Founder, Hombale Films, said with Roshan, the team will aim to mount a film where "intensity meets imagination on a grand scale". The production house has also backed pan-India blockbusters like Yash-starrer KGF Chapter 1 & Chapter 2, and Salaar: Part 1 – Ceasefire headlined by Prabhas.