Kantara Chapter 1 Box Office Collection Day 5: Rishab Shetty has done it again! His latest film, Kantara: Chapter 1, is rewriting box office history and showing no signs of slowing down. After an explosive opening weekend, the film is now inching towards the Rs 400 crore mark globally, a massive feat for a regional-language film that’s found love across India.
According to early estimates from industry tracker Sacnilk, Kantara 2 (as it’s being called by fans) earned an impressive Rs 31.25 crore on its first Monday in India. That’s higher than the opening day collection of Salman Khan’s Sikandar (Rs 26 crore), a clear sign that audience word-of-mouth is working wonders for Rishab Shetty’s mythological action drama.
Kantara Chapter 1 Box Office Collection beats Sunny Sanskari, Idli Kadai and more
Even though Monday’s collection marked a 50 per cent dip from Sunday’s Rs 63 crore haul, Kantara: Chapter 1 is still outperforming some of the biggest Indian releases of 2025. Films like Chhaava and Saiyaara both earned Rs 24 crore on their first Mondays, while Coolie managed Rs 12 crore, making Rishab’s film the clear winner of the week.
And when you compare it with other new releases, the numbers get even more dramatic. Varun Dhawan and Janhvi Kapoor’s Sunny Sanskari Ki Tulsi Kumari could only manage Rs 3 crore, and Dhanush’s Idli Kadai brought in Rs 1.6 crore. That means Kantara: Chapter 1 earned nearly ten times more than its closest competitor!
Kantara Chapter 1 Box Office Collection regional breakdown
The film’s original Kannada version continues to dominate with Rs 11.5 crore collected on Monday alone. The Hindi dub brought in Rs 8.75 crore, while the Telugu version followed with Rs 5.5 crore. Tamil and Malayalam versions contributed Rs 2.75 crore each.
In Karnataka, theatre occupancy touched 72.7 per cent throughout the day, which is a rare figure for a Monday. Morning shows started with around 42 per cent occupancy but quickly shot up to nearly 90 per cent for the evening and night screenings, proving that audiences are coming in droves even on weekdays.
Kantara Chapter 1 Box Office Collection India and Worldwide
With this, Kantara: Chapter 1 has now collected Rs 256.5 crore (India nett) and a worldwide gross of Rs 362.75 crore, well on its way to surpassing the lifetime collection of the 2022 original, which had earned Rs 407.82 crore worldwide. And here’s the fun part: the sequel is set to do it in less than 10 days!
The scale of Kantara: Chapter 1 is much bigger than the first film. While Kantara (2022) was made on a modest Rs 16 crore budget, this prequel was produced for a reported Rs 125 crore. The budget clearly paid off, with the film connecting with audiences nationwide through its powerful storytelling, rooted mythology, and breathtaking visuals.
Kantara Chapter 1: Story, cast and more
Set during the ancient Kadamba period in Karnataka, Kantara: Chapter 1 goes back in time to reveal the origin of the myth that defined the first movie. The film follows Rishab Shetty as a fierce Naga Sadhu, a warrior-mystic destined to bridge the world of mortals and the divine. As per the official synopsis, ‘This isn’t just a prequel, it’s the origin of a myth.’ And audiences seem to agree.
The film also stars Rukmini Vasanth, Jayaram, Gulshan Devaiah, PD Satish Chandra, and Prakash Thuminad in key roles. It’s been released in multiple languages, including Kannada, Hindi, Telugu, Tamil, Malayalam, Bengali, and even English, making it truly pan-India.
Before its release, Kantara: Chapter 1 underwent a few minor edits from the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC). One obscene hand gesture was removed, and during scenes involving drug use, a legal disclaimer was added reminding audiences that “Consumption and trafficking of narcotic drugs is prohibited and punishable by law.”