The madness around Kantara Chapter 1 refuses to die down. Rishab Shetty’s much-awaited prequel has raked in a enormous ₹335 crore worldwide in just four days, proving that good cinema still has the power to bring audiences to theatres in droves. What started as high expectations has turned into box office gold, with the film smashing one record after another.
The numbers tell quite a story. Opening day saw collections of ₹61.85 crores, making it the third biggest opener of 2025. Despite a Friday dip to ₹45.4 crore, the film bounced back hard over the weekend with Saturday bringing in ₹55 crore and Sunday hitting ₹63 crore. The real test came on Monday when most films see a sharp drop, but Kantara Chapter 1 held strong with ₹31.25 crore, taking its total domestic haul to ₹256.5 crore.
Audience Love Across Languages
What makes this success even sweeter is how different language audiences have embraced the film. The Hindi version alone crossed ₹80 crore in five days, with Sunday collections (₹23.5 crore) beating the original Kannada version (₹15.5 crore). Telugu contributed ₹11.25 crore on Sunday, while Tamil and Malayalam versions added ₹6.5 crore and ₹4.75 crore respectively.
Theatre occupancy rates speak volumes about audience interest. Sunday saw packed houses with 90.59% occupancy for Kannada shows, 71.37% for Telugu, 38.90% for Hindi, 80.90% for Tamil, and 77.82% for Malayalam. These aren’t just numbers on paper – they represent packed theatres and happy exhibitors.
Records Keep Tumbling
The film has become the first Kannada movie of 2025 to cross ₹300 crore worldwide. More impressively, it’s already beaten the lifetime collections of several major releases including Aamir Khan’s Sitaare Zameen Par (₹266 crore), Lokah Chapter 1 (₹290 crore), and Hanuman (₹298 crore).
Perhaps most significantly, the prequel has surpassed KGF Chapter 1’s worldwide total of ₹248 crore, making it the third-highest grossing Kannada film ever. Only KGF Chapter 2 (₹1,248 crore) and the original Kantara (₹400 crore) remain ahead – and both these records look achievable if the current pace continues.
Mixed But Passionate Reviews
While the box office tells one story, audience reactions paint a more complex picture. Twitter has been buzzing with both praise and criticism. Many viewers have called Rishab Shetty “a master storyteller” and praised the film’s climax as “visually surreal, emotionally shattering”. One user wrote: “Those final 10 minutes of climax redefine what cinema can do visually breathtaking, emotionally devastating”.
However, some fans feel the film doesn’t match the original’s magic. Early reactions suggest the sequel “lacks the same intensity and polish” as the first film. One moviegoer told media: “The first half felt slow and scattered, but the second half was better and took the story to another level”. Despite mixed reviews about pacing and editing, Rishab Shetty’s performance has won widespread appreciation.
International Markets Respond Well
The film’s overseas performance has been solid, earning over $6 million internationally within four days. This global appeal shows that regional Indian cinema is finding its feet on the world stage, with Rishab Shetty’s storytelling resonating beyond Indian shores.
Trade experts are already talking about the film potentially becoming the first Indian release of 2025 to hit ₹1,000 crore if this momentum continues. Monday’s performance, where it earned nearly 10 times more than competing films like Sunny Sanskari Ki Tulsi Kumari, suggests the audience appetite remains strong.
Budget vs Returns
Unlike its predecessor which was made for just ₹15 crore, Kantara Chapter 1 had a budget of ₹125 crore. The higher investment has paid off handsomely – the film has already delivered 105.2% returns and earned a “Hit” verdict at the domestic box office.
The prequel takes audiences back a thousand years before the original story, diving deep into the origins of Daiva worship in coastal Karnataka during the Kadamba dynasty period. Alongside Rishab Shetty, the film stars Rukmini Vasanth, Jayaram, and Gulshan Devaiah.
With strong word-of-mouth and solid hold patterns, Kantara Chapter 1 looks set to rewrite record books and prove that audiences are hungry for authentic storytelling rooted in Indian culture and tradition.
