Kantara Chapter 1 Day 6 box office holds steady; slight improvement over Day 5 in Kannada and Hindi
Kantara Chapter 1 box office: Rishab Shetty and team have been on a promotional spree in the Hindi belt. Is it showing results?
Last Updated: 03.54 PM, Oct 08, 2025
When the advance bookings of actor-filmmaker Rishab Shetty’s Kantara Chapter 1 had opened days prior to its official October 2 release, the buzz on social media was that contrary to expectations, the film was not off to flying start outside of Karnataka, especially in the north India market. In 2022, apart from the Kannada original, Kantara had done exceedingly well in its Hindi and Telugu dubbed versions, with net figures around Rs 42 cr and Rs 85 cr respectively.
Kantara Chapter 1 to outgross Kantara on Day 7
Naturally, the expectation was for Kantara Chapter 1 to perform much better, given the anticipation surrounding the prequel and that it was getting a simultaneous release along with the original version. In less than a week, the Telugu version of Kantara Chapter 1 has already got to a tad under Rs 60 cr. Reports suggest that the distribution rights for the Telugu market were sold outright in the vicinity of Rs 75 cr to Rs 100 cr, with trackers estimating that the film would have to rake in around Rs 140 cr for break-even. A similar, if not higher, figure is what is estimated for Hindi too. The film has made Rs 93.25 cr net so far in Hindi.
At the end of day 6, Kantara Chapter 1 was, according to sacnilk, just shy of the Rs 300 cr mark, ending at Rs 290 cr an addition of Rs 33 cr. On its first Tuesday, the film held steady with the box office marginally better than Monday, due to minor improvements in collections from the Kannada and Hindi versions. There’s been a 50% drop from Day 1 and first weekend collections in Tamil and Malayalam too. It is expected to outgross the India net of Kantara (Rs 309 cr) on Day 7 in theatres.
On Day 6, Kantara Chapter 1 achieved the status of highest grossing Kannada film of 2025, when it got to Rs 89.35 cr net, ahead of Su From So’s lifetime Rs 84.45 cr. Although Rishab and team were hoping to be able to get some well-deserved rest after the film’s release, he’s been on a promotional spree in the Hindi belt, in the hope of giving the film a fillip. However, it will face its big test on October 17, when Thamma, the newest film in the Stree Universe releases.
Trackers estimate that the film may wrap its Hindi version journey under Rs 200 cr, while overseas distributors are likely to suffer losses or just about manage break-even. Multiple trackers reckon that a Rs 1,000 cr theatrical run looks unlikely for Kantara Chapter 1, with Chhaava to remain the undisputed highest grosser of the year, especially since Rishab’s film has a 4-week only OTT window, in all languages except Hindi.
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 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 hit 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. The Hindi version is expected after 8 weeks from date of theatrical release.
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.