Kantara Chapter 1 Day 1 box office: Hindi version performs marginally better than even Kannada original; Telugu not far behind

 Kantara Chapter 1 was off to a flying start on Day 1 at the box office, a holiday and is looking at an equally good, if not better first weekend too.

Rishab Shetty in Kantara Chapter 1

• Prathibha Joy

Last Updated: 12.56 PM, Oct 03, 2025

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When advance bookings for Kantara Chapter 1 opened across the country, the buzz was that the film was far from the expected momentum in the Hindi belt. The Hindi dubbed version of the original Kantara had done phenomenal business, so, there was no doubt that the prequel would follow suit. Trackers, however, stated that the film fell far behind the record set by Yash’s KGF Chapter 2 in that region.

Rishab Shetty (centre) in a still from Kantara Chapter 1

On Day 1, Kantara Chapter 1 is said to have made Rs 60 cr, with the Hindi version slightly ahead of the Kannada original at Rs 19.5cr and Rs 18 cr, respectively. Telugu came in at third position, contributing Rs 13 cr, followed by Tamil (Rs 5.25 cr) and Malayalam (Rs 4.75 cr). Interestingly, the paid premieres contributed nearly Rs 4 crore in Karnataka, which is an all-time record for any film.

The film is expected to see a slight dip on Day 2, given that it is a working day, but bookings hint at 75% average occupancy in all centres. By the end of the first weekend, the prediction is that Kantara Chapter 1 will breach the Rs 250 cr mark. If the film follows the current trajectory consistently, it will be on track for a Rs 1,000 cr box office run.

It was earlier reported that the distribution rights of the Telugu version had gone for a hefty Rs 100 cr, meaning that the film will need to collect at least twice that sum for break even. The 2022 Kantara is said to have made around Rs 60 cr in the Telugu dubbed version, and with Pawan Kalyan’s OG also in theatres, Kantara Chapter 1 has a long way to go in that region.

Everywhere else, Kantara Chapter 1 will have a relatively uninterrupted run at least till Deepavali, or the end of the month, when newer star-led big films hit theatres.

FAQs

Q. Are Kantara and Kantara: Chapter 1 the same?

A. No, they are separate films in the same franchise, both written and directed by Rishab Shetty. Kantara released in 2022, while Kantara: Chapter 1 is expected to hit theatres on October 2, 2025. Chapter 1 is the prequel of the original film and is supposedly an exploration of the origin of the Panjurli Daiva, among others.

Q. What is the run-time of Kantara Chapter 1?

A. Kantara Chapter is 2 hours and 47 minutes in total run-time.

Q. Where can one watch Kantara Chapter 1?

A. Kantara Chapter 1 will be in theatres across the world from October 2, 2025. Subsequently, it will head to Amazon Prime Video on October 30, 2025, in Kannada, Tamil, Telugu and Malayalam.

Q. Whose avatar is Panjurli Daiva?

A. Panjurli Daiva is considered an avatar of Lord Vishnu in his Varaha incarnation. Panjurli, according to folklore, was a wild boar, who was slain by Lord Shiva and then revived to become a divine protector.