The franchise was continued by Kantara Chapter 1, the prequel, which included larger graphics, more ambitious narrative, and a larger scope.

 New Delhi :  Gandhi Jayanti saw the release of Rishab Shetty’s eagerly awaited prequel, Kantara Chapter 1, which made Rs 60 crore on its first day in India.

Following the 2022 hit Kantara, the movie was released in Telugu, Tamil, Hindi, Malayalam, and Kannada.
Tickets for Kantara Chapter 1 Sold 1.28 Million

Kantara Chapter 1 made the following, as the trade website Sacnilk:

• 18 crore rupees in Kannada
• 12.5 crore rupees in Telugu
• Rs 19.5 crore in Hindi
• In Tamil: Rs 5.25 crore
• Rs 4.75 crore for Malayalam

The first day of the movie’s release saw a record 1.28 million tickets sold.

High Occupancy Is Driven by Multilingual Release

In India, Kantara Chapter 1 got more than 8,800 performances on its first day. The movie had almost 1,500 Kannada screenings, with an impressive 88% overall occupancy rate.

Telugu and Tamil screenings recorded over 70% occupancy, while Malayalam had around 65%. About 4,700 performances had Hindi screenings, with an overall occupancy rate of about 30%.

Breaking Records Across The Board

Kantara Chapter 1 opened with the third-highest single-day collection of 2025, behind Rajinikanth’s Coolie (Rs 65 crore) and
Pawan Kalyan’s They Call Him OG (Rs 63.75 crore). It also surpassed Vicky Kaushal’s Chhaava (Rs 52 crore) and Saiyaara (the previous record holder for opening day collections).

Second-Highest Opening For A Kannada Film

In the Hindi market, the film is expected to earn Rs 19-21 crore on its opening day, making it the second-highest opening ever for a Kannada film in Hindi, after KGF Chapter 2, which earned Rs 54 crore.

Kantara Chapter 1 Enters Top 10 Highest Grossing Films Of 2025

The wide release and strong occupancy across languages show the film’s appeal to a diverse audience. The film’s distribution strategy included releasing nearly 4,700 Hindi shows and over 1,500 Kannada shows, while Telugu, Tamil, and Malayalam versions reached smaller but significant audiences.

Kantara Chapter 1 has already entered the top 10 highest-grossing films of 2025 on Day 1.

Box Office Context

With Rs 60 crore on its first day, Kantara Chapter 1 overtook films like Chhaava and Saiyaara but remains slightly behind the openings of Rajinikanth’s Coolie and Pawan Kalyan’s They Call Him OG. Other contenders in 2025 include Hrithik Roshan and Jr NTR’s War 2 (Rs 52 crore) and Ram Charan-Shankar’s Game Changer (Rs 51 crore).

A Prequel With Grand Aspirations

The original Kantara (2022) emerged as a word-of-mouth hit, earning over Rs 407 crore worldwide against a modest budget of Rs 16 crore. Its prequel, Kantara Chapter 1, carried forward the franchise with bigger visuals, ambitious storytelling, and expanded scale.

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Directed by and starring Rishab Shetty, the film also features Rukmini Vasanth, Gulshan Devaiah, and Jayaram in key roles. Cinematography is by Arvind S Kashyap, editing by Suresh, music by B Ajaneesh Loknath, and production design by Banglan. The film is produced by Vijay Kiragandur and Chaluve Gowda under the Hombale Films banner.