'Rishab Shetty said he is my fan,' Malayalam actor Jayaram recounts how he became part of Kantara Chapter 1

Recounting how he became part of Kantara Chapter 1, Jayaram shares his conversation with Rishab Shetty, when the Kannada star said he was a fan of the Malayalam actor.

Rishab Shetty in Kantara, Jayaram

The Kannada film Kantara Chapter 1, starring Rishab Shetty, is making waves across cinema halls and raking in impressive numbers at the box office. Malayalam actor Jayaram also appears in the role of King Rajashekara in the 2025 film, which is the prequel to the critically acclaimed and commercially successful Kantara. Recounting how he became part of Kantara Chapter 1, Jayaram shares his conversation with Rishab Shetty, when the Kannada star said he was a fan of the Malayalam actor.

Jayaram on Rishab Shetty’s Kantara

Jayaram, one of the popular Malayalam stars during the 1990s and even 2000s, is currently busy with his acting commitments in other languages, with the latest being Kantara Chapter 1. In a recent interview with Reporter Live, Jayaram spoke about his conversation with Rishab Shetty soon after the first film Kantara released in 2022.

“When Rishab Shetty's Kantara released 3 years ago, I wanted to call him up and congratulate him. But a few days later, he called me up and I was shocked. When I told him I am ‘your big fan’, he told me that he has been my fan for years," recounted Jayaram, saying that he was pleasantly surprised to see his call.

“Rishab Shetty spent a lot of his time along the Kerala-Karnataka border, and has watched a lot of Malayalam movies at the time. That’s how he called me,” Jayaram told the Malayalam news channel. He told me about the film’s story and asked me to come on board to do a key role, Jayaram added.

Jayaram has starred in several non-Malayalam films in the recent past, including Mani Ratnam’s Tamil film Ponniyin Selvan and Nani’s Telugu romantic drama Hi Nanna.

The Kannada film would be heading to Prime Video on October 30. Apart from Rishab and Jayaram, Kantara Chapter 1 also stars Rukmini Vasanth and Gulshan Devaiah in other key roles.

Also read: 6 new OTT releases to watch in Indian languages this weekend (October 4-5, 2025)

FAQs

Q. Where can one watch Kantara Chapter 1?

A. Kantara Chapter 1 is running in theatres across the world. It was released on October 2, 2025. Subsequently, the film will head to Amazon Prime Video on October 30, 2025, in Kannada, Tamil, Telugu and Malayalam.

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.

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