Kantara Chapter 1, the highly anticipated prequel to the 2022 National Award-winning film Kantara, is set to hit theatres on October 2. Directed and led by Rishab Shetty, the film features a stellar cast including Rukmini Vasanth, Gulshan Devaiah, and Jayaram in key roles. With advance bookings open, the film has already generated significant excitement, amassing Rs 18.95 crore in ticket sales, including block seats, as reported by Sacnilk.
The film has sold over 400,000 tickets for its opening day across 11,800 shows in India, with a net collection of Rs 11.46 crore excluding block seats, which are typically reserved for last-minute bookings, promotions, or studio schemes. The Kannada-speaking region leads the charge, contributing 214,933 tickets sold across 1,780 shows, reflecting the strong regional loyalty to the Kantara franchise. However, the film’s performance in the Hindi belt has been relatively modest, with 57,000 tickets sold for 6,393 shows, generating Rs 1.9 crore in advance sales.
Kantara Chapter 1 has also found traction among Tamil and Telugu audiences, with 39,270 and 33,492 tickets sold, respectively. Notably, the Malayalam version has performed exceptionally well, selling 53,957 tickets across just 1,236 shows, signaling strong cross-regional appeal. Despite this, the film lags behind the advance booking figures of other Kannada blockbusters like KGF Chapter 2, which earned Rs 17.95 crore in Kannada alone on its opening day, and this year’s top-grosser Chhaava, which secured Rs 13.79 crore in day-one advance sales.
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The film faces a box office clash with the Bollywood romantic-comedy Sunny Sanskari Ki Tulsi Kumari, starring Varun Dhawan and Janhvi Kapoor, which has reported net advance bookings of Rs 1.13 crore, with 28,698 tickets sold, rising to Rs 2.26 crore with block seats. With 24 hours remaining before release, both films are expected to see a surge in bookings as single-screen ticket sales open and anticipation builds.
Produced by Hombale Films, Kantara Chapter 1 is one of the year’s most-awaited releases, set to explore the origins of the Bhuta Kola ritual and the legend of the Daiva spirit in 4th-century CE coastal Karnataka during the Kadamba dynasty. Unlike the original Kantara, which delved into contemporary land conflicts, this prequel promises a historical narrative steeped in cultural richness. The film will release worldwide in multiple languages, including Kannada, Hindi, Telugu, Malayalam, Tamil, Bengali, and English, aiming to captivate a global audience.
As the countdown to its theatrical debut continues, Kantara Chapter 1 is poised to make a significant mark, though it faces the challenge of matching the monumental success of its predecessor and other Kannada cinema giants.
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