Kantara: Chapter 1

During the events of Kantara, after Kaadubettu Shiva's father disappears during the Buta Kola ritual in 1970 in the mysterious circle of the forest, a young Shiva questions it in front of his friends and family, to which a villager responds that the circle is a "dhantha kathe", or legend.

The story begins during the reign of the Kadamba dynasty. Vijayendra, king of Bangra, orders the execution of a fisherman and discovers a pouch of precious spices that sparks his desire to seize the sacred spice garden located within the Kantara forest. When he enters the forest, the ganas of Eeshwara and guardian daivas, Panjurli and Guliga, manifest and kill him. His son, Rajashekara, traumatized by his father’s death, becomes the new king and decrees that no one should enter the forest. He is portrayed as a just ruler and fathers two children: Kulashekhara, who grows up reckless and indulgent, and Kanakavathi, the more loyal and obedient child.

In the village of Kantara, a sacred well holds a secret. A young boy believed to be born of divine will is found inside and adopted by a tribal woman, who names him Berme. As Berme grows up, he ventures beyond the forest and into the Bangra kingdom’s port after an encounter with the newly crowned King Kulashekhara and his minister, Bhogendra. There, he and his companions discover that the spices from the forest are being exploited through barter trade. Berme decides to cultivate and trade spices independently to support his people.

Berme and Kanakavathi develop a romantic connection. However, Kulashekhara, now ruler, is angered by Berme’s defiance and growing influence. He sends soldiers to punish the Kantara tribe, but they are defeated. Kulashekhara retaliates with a larger attack on the village. During this assault, Berme’s foster mother is killed, and the spirit Guliga emerges from the sacred well to possess Berme. Empowered, Berme kills Kulashekhara in a manner resembling Vijayendra's death.

Despite Kulashekhara’s death, unrest continues. Rajashekara returns to the throne with Kanakavathi. During preparations for a Brahmakalasha ritual, the temple’s Shivalinga cracks, threatening the balance between the spiritual and mortal worlds. Kanakavathi asks Berme and the tribal leaders to move their deities to the kingdom temple to restore harmony. The ritual is completed, but soon after, children in Kantara begin falling unconscious from a mysterious illness. Berme learns that Kanakavathi has been conspiring against the tribe. Revived in her childhood by the Kadapa clan, she planned with her father to trap the daivas and harness their power through rituals. She also encouraged Kulashekhara’s attack on the tribe.

Berme declares war against the Bangra kingdom. In battle, Kanakavathi strengthens Rajashekara with forbidden rituals of the Kadapa people. The fisherman from the beginning reappears and advises Berme to return to the sacred well. There, Berme discovers a hidden chamber with a Shivalinga and a divine trishul. Upon touching it, Berme is again possessed by Guliga. As Panjurli Daiva ignites a fire around Rajashekara’s stronghold, Berme confronts Kanakavathi. When she taunts the daiva, Guliga declares that her destruction will come from Chamundi, the goddess of feminine power. Chamundi possesses Berme. In this form, Berme defeats and kills both Kanakavathi and Rajashekara, restoring peace to Kantara.

The film closes with Berme diving back into the sacred well and disappearing. The narrator from 1970 reflects on the legend, and the well is revealed as the same circle where Berme, Kaadubettu Shiva's father, and later Kaadubettu Shiva himself vanished, linking to Kantara: Chapter 2.

Following the success of Kantara (2022), in February 2023, Rishab Shetty confirmed that a prequel will be made and what was actually shown was the second part.^[17] It was reported that in Mangalore, Shetty had sought the permission of god Panjurli to film a prequel.^[18][19] The scripting work was completed in around 8 months, where Shetty collaborated with Shaneel Gautham and Anirudh Mahesh.^[20]

The film throws light on the origin of Panjurli Daiva and Guliga Daiva.^[21] The film's story is set in pre-colonial Karnataka, during the reign of Kadambas from Banavasi.^[22][23] Later, Shetty also revealed that basic theme of the film is same as previous part, and focuses on the conflict between the tribals of Kantara forest and a tyrannical king.^[24][25]

Principal photography began in November 2023, with a formal pooja ceremony.^[26] In April 2024, major portion was filmed in Shetty's own village in Kundapura.^[27] A massive set was created by more than 600 carpenters for the same.^[28][29] Shetty learned horse riding, Kalaripayattu and sword fighting for his role.^[30][31] In November 2024, a bus carrying crew members met with an accident near Jadkal due to which shooting got halted.^[32] In January 2025, filming moved to the forests of Sakleshpur. However, later the makers were fined ₹50K for dumping material inside protected forest area.^[33] In February 2025, a grand war sequence was filmed which was choreographed by national and international experts. The sequence included over 500 skilled fighters and a total cast of nearly 3,000 people. It was shot on a 25-acre set in Karnataka's mountains, and the sequence took nearly 50 days to film completely.^[34][35] In May 2025, the film's last schedule was filmed 20 kilometers away from Kundapur.^[36] The entire filming was wrapped by July 2025.^[37][38]

The film's soundtrack album and background score was composed by B. Ajaneesh Loknath, who had composed for the prequel, Kantara.^[39]

The first single titled "Brahmakalasha" was released on 28 September 2025.^[40] The second single titled "Rebel Song" was released on 1 October 2025.^[41] The song's Hindi version was sung by Diljit Dosanjh.^[42]

The film's first look teaser was released on 27 November 2023.^[43] Another first-look poster was released on 7 July 2025, following the wrap of the film.^[44] The official trailer was released on 22 September 2025.^[45] Following the release of the trailer a press meet was held in Bengaluru.^[46] On 28 September 2025, a pre-release event was held in Hyderabad where N. T. Rama Rao Jr. was invited as chief guest.^[47] On 30 September 2025, another pre-release event was set to take place in Chennai, however it was cancelled by the makers, following the 2025 Karur crowd crush.^[48]

Kantara: Chapter 1 was released in theatres worldwide on 2 October 2025 in standard and IMAX, D-Box, ICE, 4DX, Dolby Cinema and EPIQ formats, coinciding with Gandhi Jayanti and Vijayadashami.^[49][50] Apart from the original Kannada language it was also released in dubbed versions of Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, and Malayalam.^[51]

The producers Hombale Films will distribute the film in Karnataka.^[52] In Kerala, actor-filmmaker Prithviraj Sukumaran’s company Prithviraj Productions acquired the theatrical rights, continuing their collaboration from Kantara (2022).^[53] In North India, AA Films handled the distribution^[54], while in the Telugu-speaking states, Mythri Movie Makers, Geetha Arts, Vaaraahi Chalana Chitram, Vigneshwara Entertainments, SV Cinemas and KSN Telefilms handled the distribution.^[55] In Tamil Nadu, the distribution was handled by Think Studios, M. Movies, Fivestar K. Senthil and S Picture.^[56] For overseas markets, distribution was managed by Phars Films.^[57] In North America, distribution was handled by Prathyangira Cinemas.^[58]

The digital distribution rights of the film were acquired by Amazon Prime for ₹125 crore.^[59][60]

The movie sold 12.80 lakh tickets online on the first day.^[61] Though the early estimate suggested the movie to have collected ₹75 crores before night shows of the first day,^[62] at the end of day one, the gross collection was reported to be around ₹85 crores^[63] to ₹90 crores ^[64] with ₹72 crores within India and ₹20 crores in Hindi version alone.^[65] With ₹89+ crore in worldwide earnings on Day 1, it was reported to have outperformed every other release of the year.^[66] The movie crossed ₹100 crore mark in 2 days making it one of the quickest films of 2025 to reach that milestone.^[67] The worldwide gross at the end of 2 days was reported to be ₹151 crores.^[68] Even before the end of third day, the early estimate suggested the movie netted ^[69] ₹162.85 crores.^[70] The worldwide theatrical gross at the end of first saturday was reported to be ₹225 crores.^[71] The movie grossed ₹325 crores^[72] to ₹335 crores^[73] in its extended 4-day first weekend - thereby implying ₹100 crore gross theatrical collection worldwide on its first Sunday.^[74][75] By the afternoon of first Sunday, 50 lakhs tickets were sold online.^[76] Domestically, within 4 days, the movie netted ₹75 crores in the Hindi version, ₹47 crore in the Telugu version and ₹22 crore in the Tamil version.^[77] By earning an estimated ₹79 crore in five days in Karnataka, it surpassed the opening weekend collection of ₹73.50 crore made by KGF: Chapter 2.^[78] The movie surpassed ₹350 crore mark on its first Monday.^[79] It also scored the all-time biggest first Monday in Karnataka, surpassing Baahubali 2.^[80] The movie grossed over ₹400 crores in 6 days.^[81] By the end of seven days, the worldwide gross stood at ₹450 crores.^[82]

On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 82% of 11 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 6.5/10.^[83]

Janani K of India Today rated it 4/5 stars and said that "Rishab Shetty's film explores the man vs nature conflict and land rights, blending them with divinity, folklore, myth, and faith. The film is a brilliant cinematic showcase."^[84] Bollywood Hungama also gave it 4/5 stars, writing that "On the whole, KANTARA: A LEGEND – CHAPTER 1 is not just a prequel; it’s an experience that deepens the world Rishab Shetty created while taking it to far greater cinematic heights. With a story that blends devotion, power, and destiny, the film grips you with its spine-chilling pre-climax and thunderous climax, leaving behind an unforgettable impact."^[85] Kashvi Raj Singh of News 18 rated it 3.5/5 stars and said that "Despite some forgivable flaws, the film is a visual treat, and the second half will surely leave you jaw-dropped. Kantara: Chapter 1 is Rishab Shetty’s attempt at amalgamating Indian folklore with mainstream cinema, and this he does well."^[86] Sashidhar Adivi of Filmfare also gave it 3.5/5 stars, writing that "Kantara: Chapter 1 delivers a powerful visual spectacle that stirs emotions through its grandeur, emotional depth, and powerful performances."^[87] Arjun Menon of Rediff.com rated it 3.5/5 stars and observed that "Kantara: A Legend Chapter-1 is an ambitious, bold update of the ideas of the first film on a much bigger canvas."^[88]

Saibal Chatterjee of NDTV rated it 3/5 stars and wrote that "Kantara: A Legend – Chapter 1 is a manic, sometimes befuddling, mix of history, myth, cinematic craft and performative power. When the disparate components and conceits blend well, it is an undeniably compelling watch."^[89] Anandu Suresh of The Indian Express also gave 3/5 stars, noting that "While Rishab Shetty's 2022 movie had a soul, which communicated what it wished to say as loudly as the 'Woah!' of Guliga, in Kantara 2, all that remains is the scream, as the soul flickers in and out unsteadily."^[90] Abhimanyu Mathur of Hindustan Times also rated it 3/5 stars, stating that "Rishab Shetty almost excels in pulling off a worthy prequel aided by fine performances and visuals, but hurt by an uneven narrative."^[91]

Pranati A S of Deccan Herald gave it 2/5 stars and said that "The visually stunning prequel to Kantara has its moments, but it could have been better with sharper writing and a more grassroots politics."^[92] Sruthi Ganapathy Raman of The Hollywood Reporter India stated that "There's room for a lot more spectacle, folds in the larger story of resistance, and visual beauty in this Kantara prequel, even if it comes at the cost of lesser depth in writing."^[93] Nandini Ramnath of Scroll.in commented that "The 168-minute film sometimes has a little too much going on to be absorbed in a single viewing. Although unwieldy at times, Kantara: Chapter 1 maintains the enchantment through impeccable world-building and a balance of spectacle with ideas."^[94] Vivek M.V. of The Hindu observed that "Despite flaws, Kantara Chapter 1 is a worthy prequel that rides on its gigantic scale and fine performances of Rishab Shetty and Rukmini Vasanth."^[95] Sajesh Mohan of Onmanorama noted that Kantara: Chapter 1 places the tribals at the heart of the narrative, portraying their myths, struggles, and victories as central to the story. He highlighted how the film explores class and caste exploitation, as well as cultural appropriation, but also observed that the story remains largely male-oriented, missing an opportunity to challenge long-standing societal and cinematic stereotypes.^[96]