Box office: 'Kantara' becomes highest-grossing film in Karnataka
"Kantara: Chapter 1," the Kannada film led by Rishab Shetty, just smashed records to become Karnataka's top-grossing movie ever.
Released worldwide on October 2, 2025, it pulled in over ₹700 crore globally in just over two weeks.
The story dives into coastal Karnataka's ancient myths, with Shetty himself playing both Berme and a mysterious Old Man.
Film's phenomenal performance across languages
The film had a massive opening day—over ₹60 crore earned right out of the gate, with nearly ₹20 crore from its Hindi version alone.
By day 16, it was nearing ₹490 crore in India and had crossed ₹717 crore worldwide.
Its popularity is thanks to steady crowds across languages and even international fans.
More about the film and its team
Produced by Vijay Kiragandur (Hombale Films), "Kantara: Chapter 1" brings together cinematographer Arvind S. Kashyap and composer B. Ajaneesh Loknath.
The cast features Jayaram, Rukmini Vasanth, Gulshan Devaiah and more.
It hit theaters in six languages—including Kannada, Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, and Malayalam—timed perfectly for Gandhi Jayanti and Dussehra celebrations on October 2nd.