Rishab Shetty’s Kantara Chapter 1 continues its blazing run at the box office, collecting Rs 223.25 crore across all languages by Sunday — maintaining figures close to its opening day numbers.

The film grossed Rs 61 crore on Sunday, after an opening day haul of Rs 61.85 crore across Kannada, Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, and Malayalam. According to industry tracker Sacnilk, Kantara Chapter 1 had earned Rs 47.6 crore in Kannada alone till Saturday, while its Hindi version continued strong with Rs 50.5 crore at the domestic box office.

Produced on a budget of Rs 125 crore, the film has already broken multiple records and is now the second highest-grossing Kannada film of 2025, trailing only Mahavatar Narsimha, which has earned between Rs 300–325 crore worldwide.

Trade analyst Taran Adarsh hailed the film’s performance on X (formerly Twitter), writing:

“#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... EXCELLENT.”

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About the film

Directed and written by Rishab Shetty along with Anirudh Mahesh and Shanil Guru, Kantara Chapter 1 stars Rishab Shetty, Jayaram, Rukmini Vasanth, and Gulshan Devaiah in lead roles. The film serves as a prequel to the 2022 blockbuster Kantara, which also starred and was directed by Shetty.

The original Kantara had earned Rishab Shetty the National Award for Best Actor in 2024, while the film won the National Award for Best Popular Film.

Critical reception

In his review for NDTV, critic Saibal Chatterjee described the film as “a manic, sometimes befuddling, mix of history, myth, cinematic craft, and performative power.” He added:

“When the disparate components and conceits blend well, it is an undeniably compelling watch. At all other times, it is immersive enough to keep the audience glued to the screen in an attempt to scan and decipher the riot of colours, the grand gestures, the larger-than-life action sequences, and the portentous dialogue that have gone into the project.”

Source: NDTV