Kantara Chapter 1 Box Office Juggernaut: ₹500 Cr Worldwide

The cinematic storm unleashed by Rishab Shetty’s Kantara Chapter 1 shows no signs of slowing down, as the film has achieved a remarkable feat by soaring past the ₹500 crore gross mark at the worldwide box office in just nine days. This extraordinary performance firmly establishes the prequel as one of the biggest Indian blockbusters of the year and marks a colossal win for the Kannada film industry.

The film’s relentless momentum has seen it not only maintain a strong hold but also register a significant jump in collections on its second Friday (Day 9). This surge has been crucial in pushing its global gross collection beyond the coveted half-a-billion-rupee milestone, confirming its status as a massive pan-Indian and international success.

Domestic and Global Dominance

While the official nine-day worldwide gross collection is expected to be over ₹520 crore, the film had already been announced by the makers (Hombale Films) to have crossed ₹509.25 crore gross worldwide after its first eight days. This exceptional pace highlights a fantastic second-weekend run, cementing the film’s phenomenal appeal across various languages and international markets.

On the domestic front, the Day 9 collections have helped the film’s India net total cruise comfortably past the ₹350 crore mark, showcasing consistent audience engagement and strong word-of-mouth. The movie has been performing exceptionally well in its original Kannada version, as well as the dubbed releases, particularly in Hindi and Telugu.

Outpacing Blockbusters: Beats Lifetime Collections of ‘Coolie’ and ‘War’

The sheer speed and scale of Kantara Chapter 1‘s box office run have allowed it to eclipse the lifetime collections of several major Indian hits. The Rishab Shetty directorial has successfully surpassed the final worldwide gross figures of two highly successful films:

• Coolie: The Rajinikanth starrer, which was a massive hit earlier in the year, had a reported worldwide lifetime gross collection of approximately ₹518 crore.
• War (2019): This blockbuster action film starring Hrithik Roshan and Tiger Shroff had a reported lifetime worldwide gross collection of around ₹475 crore.

By beating these established blockbusters in its initial run, Kantara Chapter 1 is now rapidly climbing the ranks of the highest-grossing Indian films of all time. Its next target appears to be the worldwide lifetime collection of the romantic drama Saiyaara (approx. ₹570 crore), a milestone it is expected to cross very soon.

The Phenomenon of Kantara Chapter 1

Written and directed by Rishab Shetty, who also plays the lead role of Berme, Kantara Chapter 1 is a prequel to the highly acclaimed 2022 film Kantara. Set a thousand years before the events of the original, the film delves into the folk legends, spiritual beliefs, and deep-rooted culture of coastal Karnataka, intertwining them with a fictional narrative of a warrior standing up for his people. The film’s compelling storytelling, stunning cinematography, and powerful performances have resonated strongly with audiences, turning it into a cultural and box office sensation.

With no major competition in sight until the major Diwali releases, the film is poised for another dominant week, with industry trackers projecting the possibility of it crossing the ₹600 crore mark worldwide before the end of its second weekend. The continuing success underscores a significant shift in audience acceptance of content-driven regional cinema on a national and global scale.