Key Points
- Rishab Shetty’s “Kantara: Chapter 1” has crossed ₹325 crore worldwide gross in just four days, making it the first Kannada film to breach ₹300 crore this year
- The film collected ₹223.25 crore net domestically (₹268 crore gross) during its extended opening weekend, marking the second-biggest opening weekend for any Kannada film in history
- Sunday (Day 4) saw phenomenal collections of ₹61 crore net in India, maintaining the momentum from its opening day
- The period action drama has surpassed the lifetime collections of KGF Chapter 1 (₹248 crore), HanuMan (₹298 crore), and several other major releases
- Overseas markets contributed over $6 million (approximately ₹50 crore) to the total collection, with strong performance across international territories
- The film achieved 98-99% occupancy in Karnataka for afternoon and evening shows, demonstrating exceptional audience response
- Trade experts predict the film could become the first Indian release of 2025 to cross ₹1000 crore worldwide
Mumbai: Rishab Shetty’s highly anticipated prequel “Kantara: Chapter 1” has created box office history with its phenomenal opening weekend performance. Released worldwide on October 2, 2025, the period folk action thriller has shattered multiple records and established itself as one of the biggest Indian blockbusters of the year.
The film’s domestic performance has been nothing short of extraordinary, collecting ₹223.25 crore net (₹268 crore gross) in India during its four-day extended opening weekend. This achievement places it as the second-biggest opening weekend for any Kannada film in cinema history, trailing only behind the legendary KGF Chapter 2, which had earned ₹380 crore domestically during its opening weekend in 2022.
Day-Wise Box Office Domination
The film’s day-wise performance showcases remarkable consistency and audience appeal across all four days of its opening weekend. On its opening day (Thursday, October 2), “Kantara: Chapter 1” grossed ₹61.85 crore net in India, establishing a strong foundation for the weekend ahead.
Friday saw a slight dip to ₹54.4 crore net, which is typical for most releases following their opening day excitement. However, the film bounced back impressively on Saturday with ₹55 crore net, showing a healthy 25% increase from Friday’s collections. The real triumph came on Sunday, when the film matched its opening day performance with another ₹61.5 crore net, bringing the total domestic collection to ₹232.75 crore net.
International Markets Fuel Global Success
The international box office has played a crucial role in pushing “Kantara: Chapter 1” into the elite ₹300+ crore club. Overseas territories contributed significantly to the film’s success, with trade pundits estimating earnings of over $6 million (approximately ₹50 crore) during the four-day opening period.
The film’s worldwide opening day collection stood at ₹88 crore gross, which included both domestic and international earnings. The global weekend performance has been exceptional, with the film maintaining strong momentum across various international markets where Indian cinema has a significant following.
Breaking Major Box Office Milestones
“Kantara: Chapter 1” has systematically surpassed the lifetime collections of several major recent releases, establishing its dominance in the current box office landscape. The film has crossed the total collections of recent big-budget releases including “Gangubai Kathiawadi” (₹210 crore), “Game Changer” (₹200 crore), and “Sikandar” (₹176 crore) within just its opening weekend.
Most significantly, the film has surpassed the worldwide collection of “KGF Chapter 1” (₹248 crore), making it the third-highest-grossing Kannada film of all time. It now trails only behind “KGF Chapter 2” (₹1248 crore) and the original “Kantara” (₹400 crore) in the list of highest-grossing Kannada films.
Exceptional Audience Response Across India
The film has demonstrated remarkable staying power with audiences, maintaining exceptionally high occupancy rates throughout its opening weekend. In Karnataka, the film’s home state, “Kantara: Chapter 1” recorded an impressive 98-99% occupancy for afternoon and evening shows on Sunday, indicating sustained audience interest and positive word-of-mouth.
The Hindi version, while starting slower than expected, showed significant improvement over the weekend. Saturday collections for the Hindi version showed solid gains, and Sunday was expected to be almost 25% higher than the opening day, reaching around ₹22 crore net. This upward trend in the Hindi belt suggests strong potential for sustained performance in the coming weeks.
Path to ₹1000 Crore Club
Industry experts and trade analysts are optimistic about “Kantara: Chapter 1” becoming the first Indian film of 2025 to breach the ₹1000 crore worldwide mark. The film’s exceptional opening weekend performance, combined with positive critical reception and strong audience word-of-mouth, has created the perfect foundation for achieving this milestone.
The movie is certain to earn over ₹500 crore domestically and ₹600 crore worldwide based on current trends. Trade experts believe that the film’s strong performance across both domestic and international markets, coupled with its broad appeal across different language markets, positions it well for achieving unprecedented box office heights.
About the Epic Prequel
“Kantara: Chapter 1” serves as a prequel to the 2022 blockbuster “Kantara,” which had earned over 400 crore worldwide on a modest ₹15 crore budget. The new film is set a thousand years before the events of the original movie, exploring the ancient origins of the story that captivated audiences globally.
Written, directed, and headlined by Rishab Shetty, the period action drama also features accomplished actors Rukmini Vasanth, Jayaram, and Gulshan Devaiah in pivotal roles. The film has received glowing reviews from both critics and audiences, praising its authentic storytelling, spectacular visuals, and Shetty’s powerful performance.
