Before Diwali releases, 'Kantara: Chapter 1' crosses ₹530cr in India
What's the story
The Kannada film Kantara: Chapter 1, starring Rishab Shetty, has crossed the ₹700cr mark worldwide. The film is a prequel to the 2022 hit Kantara and was released on October 2 in multiple languages. It has become one of the most successful Indian films of 2025 by earning ₹523.5cr in 18 days. The period folk action thriller is produced by Vijay Kiragandur and Chaluve Gowda under the banner Hombale Films.
Record-breaking performance
'Kantara: Chapter 1' minted ₹200cr in Karnataka
Kantara: Chapter 1 has set several records, including becoming the first film to gross ₹200cr in Karnataka. The film recorded high occupancy across major cities like Bengaluru, Mangaluru, Hubballi, and Mysuru. On Sunday (Day 18), it earned ₹17.5cr across all languages at the Indian box office, a significant improvement from Saturday's earnings of ₹12.9cr.
Box office battle
'Kantara: Chapter 1' beats 'Sitaare Zameen Par'
After 18 days at the domestic box office, Kantara: Chapter 1 has now earned around ₹524cr in total collections. A significant portion of this figure belongs to the dubbed Hindi version, which has now crossed ₹175cr. Thus, it has surpassed Aamir Khan's coming-of-age sports dramedy Sitaare Zameen Par which earned ₹165cr earlier this year. As per Sacnilk, at the time of writing, the Shetty directorial had added another ₹6.16cr in all languages in India, taking the total past ₹530cr.
Ongoing success
'Thamma' and 'Ek Deewane Ki Deewaniyat' release tomorrow
The film's success shows no signs of slowing down. It continues to dominate the box office and is on track to set new records after a short-lived downfall. The Hindi version's lifetime business will face competition on Tuesday as Thamma and Ek Deewane Ki Deewaniyat will get released. Kantara: Chapter 1 has become the second Indian film of the year after Chhaava to cross the ₹700cr mark globally. Will it continue its dominance after the big Diwali releases premiere?