Kantara Chapter 1 2025: Release date, trailer, plot, cast, budget, OTT partner - all you need to know

Kantara Chapter 1 2025: Rishab Shetty's much-awaited Kantara prequel will be in theatres on the occasion of Vijaya Dashami. Here's the lowdown on all things Kantara Chapter 1

Rishab Shetty in Kantara Chapter 1

It’s been three years in the making and it’s now all set for its theatrical debut. Kantara Chapter 1, actor-filmmaker Rishab Shetty’s prequel to his hit 2022 film Kantara is releasing shortly and is expected to give audiences a deeper understanding of the Bhoota Kola tradition and divine land guardianship.

Kantara Chapter 1 release date

Kantara Chapter 1 is slated for theatrical release on October 2, 2025, three years after the original film came out. The prequel will release in Kannada, Hindi, Telugu, Tamil, Malayalam and Bengali in India, with the makers targeting close to 7,000 screens over the country. Kantara Chapter 1 will also be released in nearly 30 countries world-wide simultaneously.

Kantara Chapter 1 run-time, trailer and plot

Kantara Chapter 1 was rumoured to be a tad under 3 hours in run-time, confirmation of which came on September 23, after reports of the film’s censor certification came out. U/A is what Rishab’s film has been awarded, with 2 hours and 48 minutes mentioned as the run-time. The trailer of the film was released on September 22, which has evoked mixed reactions, with netizens reckoning that although there is visual magnificence, the plot has a been-there-done-that feel, with tribals pitted against a tyrannical king and one man leading the charge.

According to the trailer, Rishab Shetty’s Berme is the man who spearheads his people’s fight, while also serenading the princess, Kanakavathi (Rukmini Vasanth). The film will also delve into the origins of divine land guardianship.

Also read: Kantara Chapter 1 trailer X reviews: Netizens divided; highest grosser of the year loading or just average?

Kantara Chapter 1 cast and crew

Rishab Shetty leads the cast and is joined by Rukmini Vasanth, Gulshan Devaiah, Jayaram, Pramod Shetty, Rakesh Poojary, Hariprashanth MG, Prakash Thuminad, among others. The film has been written by Rishab, Shaneel Gautham and Anirudh Mahesh. The actor-filmmaker’s regular collaborator Arvind Kashyap handles the cinematography, while B Ajaneesh Loknath is in charge of the music.

Kantara Chapter 1 budget

Following the massive success of Kantara, which grossed around Rs 400 crore, the makers announced that the prequel would be made at a much bigger scale. According to unverified reports, Rishab is said to have had the luxury of a budget in the vicinity of Rs 120 cr, a ten-fold increase from the original. The film was shot entirely on sets spread across 25 acres land in the forest and mountain range of coastal Karnataka.

Also read:

Kantara Chapter 1’s pre-release business: Rishab Shetty’s much-awaited prequel is already in profit

Kantara Chapter 1 OTT partner; approximate streaming schedule

Kantara Chapter 1 went on floors only in November 2023, but by March 2024, the streaming rights of the film had already been picked up. Amazon Prime Video, which is home to the 2022 original Kantara as well, reportedly paid a whopping Rs 125 cr to acquire the rights of the prequel. The satellite rights have also been sold with Zee Network said to have paid Rs 80 cr.

The original Kantara dropped on Prime Video 56 days after the theatrical release. Kantara Chapter 1 is also expected to follow a similar schedule, by which account, the film will be available to stream by the last week of November. 2025.

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. 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.

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