‘Kantara Chapter 1’ Opens Strong at the Box Office, Falls Short of Other Blockbusters

Rishab Shetty’s ‘Kantara Chapter 1,’ a prequel to the successful ‘Kantara,’ has premiered in theaters to an enthusiastic reception. The film’s release follows a period of anticipation, and it has successfully captured the attention of viewers. The movie is competing with several major releases in recent weeks, and it’s managing to hold its ground in cinemas. On its first day, ‘Kantara Chapter 1’ earned Rs 60 crore. Although this is a strong start, it is less than the opening-day earnings of ‘They Call Him OG,’ which made Rs 63.73 crore, and ‘Coolie,’ which grossed Rs 77 crore. The film faces competition in the Hindi-speaking regions from ‘Sunny Sanskari Ki Tulsi Kumari.’ Rishab Shetty leads the cast as Berme, with Rukmini Vasanth as Kanakavathi and Gulshan Devaiah as Kulashekara. The film’s visuals are overseen by cinematographer Arvind S. Kashyap, and the music is composed by B. Ajaneesh Loknath, who also composed the music for the first film. Vijay Kiragandur produces the film under Hombale Films. The 2022 film ‘Kantara,’ directed by and starring Rishab Shetty, focused on a Kambala champion and his conflict. The film explored themes around sacred land, ancestral legacy, and the balance between nature and man-made law. ‘Kantara’ became the highest-grossing Kannada film and earned Rishab Shetty a National Film Award for Best Actor.