Rishab Shetty: The basic theme of Kantara Chapter 1 is the same as Kantara, but…

Rishab Shetty and his team is still deep in the process of the final mixing of Kantara Chapter 1 to have it ready for its date with audiences next week. The work is happening in Kochi, so the actor-filmmaker used the opportunity to meet the media there and promote his upcoming release. “The world of Kantara is always about man vs nature; the conflict that arises here, which resulted in divine land guardianship is what we explored in the earlier film. Now, we are looking at the origin of this belief, for which we had no particular reference. But once we zeroed in on a basic story, we spoke to daiva narthakas, researchers, etc., to develop the script,” said Rishab.

Kantara Chapter 1 is still an exploration of the mystical forest, Kantara

During the entire writing process, for which the filmmaker was joined by Shaneel Gautham and Anirudh Mahesh, they had multiple discussions and narrations with various stakeholders, and each time a question arose for which they didn’t have an answer, they went right back to the drawing board to iron out those kinks. Having said that, Rishab adds that at the core, the world of Kantara remains the same. “The theme remains the same; we are exploring Kantara and can't step outside. What we are talking about within that sphere is what’s different this time. The mysteries of Kantara that audiences enjoyed, will be a part of this story too,” he adds.

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

Kantara Chapter 1 is set in an undefined period during the Kadamba regime and follows a conflict between the tribals of Kantara and a tyrannical king. The events that unfold when they revolt and refuse to pay the king’s exorbitant taxes forms a major part of the narrative. Rishab is paired with Rukmini Vasanth, while Gulshan Devaiah is the main antagonist. The film also stars Jayaram, Prakash Thuminad, Pramod Shetty, Shaneel Gautham, among others. It is rumoured that Jr NTR will be seen in a pivotal cameo in the film.

The film has music by B Ajaneesh Loknath and cinematography by Arvind Kashyap. It will release in theatres on October 2, with paid premieres expected to open across the nation on October 1. The makers are targeting a 7,000 screen all-India release in Kannada, Malayalam, Tamil, Telugu, Hindi and Bengali.

FAQs

Q. Where will Kantara Chapter 1 be available after the theatrical run?

A. Amazon Prime Video has acquired the post-theatrical streaming rights of Kantara Chapter 1. The film is expected to be available after 8 weeks.

Q. What is the budget of Kantara Chapter 1?

A. Kantara Chapter 1 has, reportedly, been made at a budget of around Rs 120 cr