Kantara Chapter 1 Box Office Day 14: Rishab Shetty Starrer Eyes Rs 500 Cr In India; Becomes Karnataka's Highest Grosser

Hyderabad: Rishab Shetty's Kantara Chapter 1 has changed box office history in Karnataka and beyond. The period folk action thriller has not only conquered the local territory but is now a pan-India and global sensation. In only 14 days, the film has broken records to become the highest-grossing film ever in Karnataka and has quickly climbed to be one of the fastest Indian films to cross Rs 650 crore globally.

Kantara Chapter 1, which is written, directed, and led by Rishab Shetty, serves as a prequel to 2022's mega-hit Kantara. Produced by Hombale Films (the same firm behind KGF and Salaar), Kantara Chapter 1 has enthralled audiences across languages. While the original film had its fair share of success with its theatrical run, Kantara 2 has certainly toppled that.

The film grossed about Rs 182 crore in Karnataka in a 13-day time frame, which surpassed the lifetime gross of the original Kantara (Rs 183.60 crore lifetime gross). This achievement makes Kantara Chapter 1 the biggest grosser in Karnataka cinema history. What makes this accomplishment even more impressive is that the film achieved this in a mere two weeks. The film is well on its way to achieving Rs 200 crore in Karnataka, which remains untouched till date.

This successful turn of events has one distinctive feature, which is the ticket price. The makers of the film took a daring step to defy the state government's price cap on tickets. Following the stay on the price cap of Rs 200 by the Karnataka High Court, tickets averaged more than Rs 300 for the prequel. The higher ticket price certainly helped boost revenue during the first few days, especially with great occupancy levels in both single screen and multiplexes.

Across India, Kantara Chapter 1 has maintained strong momentum. It earned Rs 475.90 crore net in 14 days from all languages combined. The film opened to a huge Rs 61.85 crore net, and even with natural drops during the weekdays, the film still held very well in its second week. The first week was worth Rs 337.40 crore, followed by the second weekend adding another Rs 100-plus crore, with solid contribution coming from Karnataka, Hindi and Telugu.

By day 14, the film made about Rs 10 crore net across India, with Hindi doing approximately Rs 4.5 crore, showing solid trends in multiplex circuits. The second Wednesday saw an overall occupancy of 10.61 percent in Hindi and 14 pc in Telugu, indicating sustained audience interest.

Worldwide, Kantara Chapter 1 has achieved a staggering Rs 650 crore gross in just 13 days. Out of this, around Rs 557 crore came from India and Rs 100 crore from overseas markets. The movie has become only the second Kannada film after Yash's KGF Chapter 2 to breach the Rs 100 crore mark internationally. This milestone solidifies Shetty's standing as a global force in Indian cinema.

The overseas performance is particularly impressive, considering that the first Kantara had grossed only Rs 44 crore abroad. The sequel has more than doubled that figure within two weeks. With Rs 100 crore overseas, Kantara Chapter 1 now stands as the fifth biggest Indian film of 2025 internationally, behind Coolie, Saiyaara, Empuraan, and Lokah Chapter 1. It is expected to surpass Lokah soon to take the fourth spot.

The film's Hindi version has also created waves, crossing Rs 150 crore net and earning a place among the top eight highest-grossing dubbed films in Indian history. It is now ahead of major titles like Salaar, Saaho, and Pushpa: The Rise. This indicates the increasing acceptance of regional narratives among the North Indian population.

Below are the Highest Hindi dubbed grossers:

• 1. Pushpa 2: The Rule – Rs 812.14 crore
• 2. Baahubali 2: The Conclusion – Rs 511 crore
• 3. KGF Chapter 2 – Rs 435.33 crore
• 4. Kalki 2898 AD – Rs 293.13 crore
• 5. RRR – Rs 272.78 crore
• 6. 2.0 – Rs 188.23 crore
• 7. Mahavatar Narsimha – Rs 188.15 crore
• 8. Kantara: Chapter 1 – Rs 155.5 crore
• 9. Salaar: Part 1 - Ceasefire - Rs 152.65 crore
• 10.Saaho - Rs 145.67 crore
• 11.Bahubali - The Beginning - Rs 118.5 crore
• 12.Pushpa: The Rise - Part 1 - Rs 106.35 crore

Unlike many star-studded action blockbusters, one thing that has kept Kantara Chapter 1 afloat is its storytelling, emotional depth, and cultural authenticity. Families, return audiences, and strong word of mouth has kept occupancy levels healthy even in the second week.

Read More

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2. Rishab Shetty's Kantara Chapter 1 Rules 2025 Box Office With Rs 656 Cr Worldwide, Outperforms Other South Indian Films
3. INTERVIEW | 'Kantara Chapter 1 Not Shiva's Story': Rishab Shetty Opens Up On Plot Of His Most Ambitious Film Yet