Kantara Chapter 1 Storms Box Office: Becomes Third All-Time Highest Grosser in Kannada

Rishab Shetty's latest cinematic offering, Kantara Chapter 1, has made a monumental impact at the global box office, achieving significant milestones within just days of its release. The film, a prequel to the highly successful Kantara (2022), premiered on October 2, 2025, and has rapidly cemented its position as one of the biggest hits in Kannada cinema history.

Record-Breaking Opening and Box Office Collection

Kantara Chapter 1 demonstrated its box office might right from the start. The film opened to a thunderous response, recording an initial collection of approximately ₹88 crore (gross) on its first day.

Despite a slight dip on Friday, where it grossed about ₹65 crore, the movie bounced back strongly over the weekend, fueled by excellent word-of-mouth and positive reviews from audiences and celebrities. By the end of its extended four-day opening weekend, the film's worldwide gross collection reached a staggering ₹325 crore.

The domestic box office haul after four days stood at approximately ₹223.25 crore (net), which translates to a gross of around ₹268 crore. This four-day domestic collection marks the second-biggest opening weekend for a Kannada film, trailing only behind KGF Chapter 2's historic domestic opening. Overseas, the film has also performed exceptionally well, earning an estimated $6 million in international territories by Day 4.

#KantaraChapter1 roars back on Saturday, witnessing a solid jump over Friday, powered by glowing word of mouth.

Sunday's numbers are expected to further strengthen its business, and going by current trends, a ₹ 70 cr *extended opening weekend* total looks well within reach...… pic.twitter.com/WttObpDY9X

— taran adarsh (@taran_adarsh) October 5, 2025

Third All-Time Highest-Grossing Kannada Film

Within its first four days, Kantara Chapter 1 has surpassed the lifetime collections of several major releases, including the global collections of the pan-India sleeper hit HanuMan (₹298 crore) and, most significantly, the worldwide collection of Yash's KGF Chapter 1 (₹248 crore).

This achievement officially makes Kantara Chapter 1 the third all-time highest-grossing Kannada film worldwide. It now trails only two films: the original Kantara (with a lifetime worldwide collection of approximately ₹400-₹408 crore) and KGF Chapter 2 (which holds the record with about ₹1215-₹1248 crore worldwide). Trade analysts anticipate the film may surpass its predecessor, Kantara, within its opening week itself.

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Production and Future Projection

Produced on a reported budget of about ₹120-₹125 crore, Kantara Chapter 1 has already proven to be a massive commercial success. The film's strong performance, driven by its original Kannada version as well as its dubbed versions, has led to soaring future projections.

Given its upward trend, trade pundits are anticipating that the film will cross the ₹300 crore worldwide milestone by the end of its fourth day and is on a trajectory that could potentially see it breach the ₹1,000 crore mark globally, a feat rarely achieved in Indian cinema.

About the Film

Kantara Chapter 1 is a prequel set a thousand years before the events of the first film, delving into the mythological and cultural backdrop of the franchise. The historical drama is written, directed, and headlined by Rishab Shetty, who returns in the lead role.

The ensemble cast includes Rukmini Vasanth, Jayaram, Gulshan Devaiah, Pramod Shetty, and Prakash Thuminad. The plot centers on the sequence of undesirable events set in motion by the unjust monarch Vijayendra and his grandson, Kulashekara, and how these incidents impact Berme as he uncovers the truth about himself. Rishab Shetty's previous directorial and starring effort, Kantara, won him the Best Actor National Award, along with the National Award for Best Popular Film in 2024.