New Delhi: Kantara: Chapter 1, the highly anticipated follow-up to the original Kantara, has taken the box office by storm. Within just six days of its release, the film has crossed the Rs 400 crore gross mark worldwide, becoming the first Kannada film of 2025 to achieve this milestone, as per a report by trade tracking site Sacnilk.
Written, directed, and led by Rishab Shetty, the film continues the legacy of its predecessor, earning widespread acclaim for its gripping narrative, breathtaking visuals, and emotional depth.
At a recent press event, Rishab Shetty and DOP (Director of Photography) Arvind S. Kashyap spoke about the intense efforts behind the film’s visuals. Kashyap credited the storytelling for the visual success, saying, “The main reason of people liking the visuals of the movie is the story, so I would thank the writers and directors for giving us an incredible story and there is a lot to talk about, the amount of challenges we had while shooting this, the set-up and the background when we shot this.”
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Rishab Shetty On Making Kantara: Chapter 1
Shetty also reflected on the exhaustive process of creating the film’s large-scale sequences, “Hum dono baat kar rahe the, humko ye itna bada sequence hoga, ki technically itna effort, physically, emotionally and bhout sara effort, jo uske baare me socha toh, dar jate the shyd hum, lekin as a team, sbka jo contribution tha, and hum abhi soch bhi nhi sakte and even after shoot, bhout saare VFX the, and sbke saath, lekin jo last me final copy jo kar rahe the, uss samaya literally it was hectic, like 23 hours, kbhi kbhi 36 hours, kbhi kbhi 48 hours, soye nhi hum log, kaise karte hai yeh hum sochte nhi hai, ye karna hai that’s it, vo rakh ke hum saare team aage badhe hai and finally we achieved it as a whole team.”
(Translation: “We were talking about how massive that sequence was going to be, the kind of technical, physical, and emotional effort it would take. Honestly, we had thought too much about it; we might have been scared. But as a team, with everyone’s contribution, we moved forward. Even after the shoot, there was a lot of VFX work. During the final stages, it was literally hectic; sometimes we worked for 23 hours straight, sometimes 36, even 48 hours without sleep. We didn’t stop to think about how we would do it; we just knew we had to do it. With that mindset, the whole team kept moving forward, and in the end, we achieved it together.”)
Who Is Pragathi Shetty’s Favourite Character?
Rishab Shetty’s wife also shared her thoughts during the event, revealing her favourite characters from the film: “My favourites are Gullu boy (Gulshan Devaiah), Jayaram sir, and of course, our hero, Rishab.”
Also Read | Did You Know Rishab Shetty’s Wife Pragathi Has Done Cameo In Kantara: Chapter 1?
Actor Gulshan Devaiah, who plays a key role in Kantara: Chapter 1, opened up about his decision to make his Kannada film debut with the project, “Sbse bada karan toh Rishab Shetty hai, inko 2019 me mila tha, hum logo ne baith ke dosa khaya tha, mai inka prashanshak aur ye mere prashanshak the, Hunter vagarah dekhi thi inhone, toh ye mil a chahte the, humare common friend ne hume milvaya tha, jbb mai mila, inke andar ek passion, cinema banana ke liye ek passion tha, apne rooted stories toh kehne ke liye ek passion tha aur ek sincerity dikhi mereko, aur mai iss cheez ke saath judna chahta tha”
(Translation: “The biggest reason was Rishab Shetty. I met him back in 2019, and we sat down and had dosa together. I was a fan of his work, and he was a fan of mine. He had seen Hunter and some of my other projects, and he wanted to meet. A common friend introduced us. When I met him, I saw a genuine passion in him, a passion for making cinema, for telling rooted stories. I also saw a certain sincerity in him, and I knew I wanted to be a part of something like that.”)
Gulshan Devaiah Knew That “They Would Call” Him For Kantara
He also shared an anecdote about how he was cast, “Mujhe pata tha ki ye Kantara ke liye mujhe bulayenge, jaise instincts, bataya nhi ha mujhe, maine bhi pucha nhi tha, phli vali aayi, mereko laga theek hai, phli vali me nhi bulaya mujhe, dusri vali me mujhe pata ha ki ye aayega. Raat ke 12 bje phone kiya tha inhone, maine uthaya nhi tha, agle din humari baat hui thi, inhone kaha ki mai bhout excited hu, ek character hai, tumhe hi soch ke likha hai, hum direct krna chahte hai. Aur aisa laga ki mai ye nhi krunga toh ye meri glti hogi.”
(Translation: “I had a feeling they would call me for Kantara, it was just an instinct. No one told me anything, and I didn’t ask either. When the first part came out, I thought, okay, they didn’t call me for that. But I was sure they would for the second one. He called me at midnight, but I didn’t pick up. We spoke the next day, and he said, ‘I’m really excited. There’s a character I’ve written with only you in mind, and I want to direct it.’ And in that moment, I felt that if I didn’t do this, it would be a mistake on my part.”)
Kantara: Chapter 1 Record-Breaking Opening
Kantara: Chapter 1 opened with a staggering Rs 61.85 crore on Day 1, outperforming major releases like Sunny Sanskari Ki Tulsi Kumari, which collected Rs 10.11 crore. The film crossed the Rs 100 crore milestone by Day 2 with collections totalling Rs 106.85 crore and is now eyeing the Rs 500 crore mark globally.
The film stars Rishab Shetty, Rukmini Vasanth, Jayaram, and Gulshan Devaiah in pivotal roles. Its immersive world is brought to life by music director B. Ajaneesh Loknath, cinematographer Arvind Kashyap, and production designer Vinesh Banglan.
Released on October 2, the film is available in seven languages: Kannada, Hindi, Telugu, Malayalam, Tamil, Bengali, and English, contributing to its wide-reaching success.
