Kantara Chapter 1 Box Office Collection: Rishab Shetty’s Kantara Chapter 1 is showing strong momentum at the Hindi box office. After a steady second day, the film surged again on Saturday (Day 3), with early trends suggesting collections may come very close to, or even cross, its opening day numbers.
Produced by Hombale Films, the period folk action thriller is recording a jump of 35–45 per cent in afternoon shows compared to Friday. With evening and night screenings expected to add more strength, Saturday’s business is projected in the Rs 16.50–18.50 crore net range in Hindi.
If night occupancy remains high, the film could match or even surpass its Day 1 figure of Rs 18.50 crore net. So far, the film has earned Rs 18.50 crore on Thursday (Day 1) and Rs 12.50 crore on Friday (Day 2), bringing the two-day Hindi total to Rs 31 crore net. With Saturday included, the 3-day tally is expected to touch Rs 48–50 crore net–an impressive feat for a dubbed release.
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Hindi box office trend
While the film is performing strongly across Kannada, Telugu and Tamil belts, its Hindi run is also turning heads.
Day 1 (Thursday): Rs 18.50 crore net
Day 2 (Friday): Rs 12.50 crore net
Day 3 (Saturday, estimates): Rs 16.50–18.50 crore net
This takes the Hindi 3-day total to Rs 48–50 crore net, a remarkable figure for a dubbed release.
Positive word of mouth driving growth
The film is said to be benefitting from strong reviews and audience buzz. Interestingly, Kantara (2022) had a modest start but went on to become a blockbuster. This time, the prequel is delivering far bigger numbers right from the opening weekend.
According to industry tracker Sacnilk, Kantara Chapter 1 made Rs 45 crore on its second day alone, taking its India net collection to Rs 106.85 crore. In comparison, the first film had managed only Rs 4.6 crore in its first two days.
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Occupancy levels at 82%
Occupancy remained robust throughout the day, averaging 82.31 per cent. Morning shows registered 60.03 per cent, afternoon 90.73 per cent, while evening and night shows held at 86.48 per cent and 92 per cent respectively.
The Kannada version had nearly 1,500 shows, with Bengaluru alone hosting over 950 and maintaining an 86 per cent average occupancy. The Telugu version had more than 1,000 shows, while the Hindi version dominated with 4,683 shows–over double the number of screenings in Kannada.
In league with big franchises
For comparison, Hrithik Roshan and Jr NTR’s War 2 had collected Rs 110 crore in two days earlier this year. Kantara Chapter 1 is now in the same bracket, but unlike War 2, it appears to be gaining momentum as the weekend progresses.
Rishab Shetty has also addressed debates around the first film’s protagonist. Speaking to THR, he said: “That film is about Shiva. Not anybody else. Shiva is not a hero—he is a villain. His character is flawed. His behaviour is questionable, his language is crass, and he has all the bad habits. He didn’t live up to societal expectations, especially those tied to his father’s legacy as a revered daiva nartaka. The story is about his transformation.”
Alongside Shetty, the cast also features Rukmini Vasanth, Gulshan Devaiah and Jayaram.
