Box office: 'Kantara: Chapter 1' collects ₹20-22cr on Day 1
Kantara: Chapter 1, the Hindi-dubbed prequel to the hit Kannada action thriller, arrived in cinemas this Thursday.
Directed by and starring Rishab Shetty, it dives into rural conflict and folklore, aiming to connect with a wider Hindi-speaking audience across India.
'Kantara: Chapter 1' minted ₹20-22 crore on Day 1
The film pulled in an impressive ₹20-22 crore net on its first day—solid for a dubbed release.
Even though it played on about 4,500 screens nationwide, turnout in North India was lower than expected.
Morning shows started slow (25-30% occupancy) but picked up to 35-36% by evening as word spread.
Still, South Indian markets saw stronger results for both original and dubbed versions.
Looking forward to positive word-of-mouth driving collections
While Kantara: Chapter 1's Hindi debut didn't hit the massive ₹40cr-plus openings of some recent South Indian blockbusters, it's still a promising start.
The real test will be how weekday collections hold up and whether positive buzz pushes it toward its ₹100cr success benchmark (with a pre-release business for Hindi rights is ₹50cr).
If you're into action thrillers rooted in folklore or enjoyed the original Kantara, this one might be worth checking out.