Nivin Pauly is the latest to join the chorus of admiration for Rishab Shetty’s Kantara: Chapter 1. Taking to social media on Friday, the Premam actor wrote, “What a film! Absolutely stunning... Huge congrats, Rishab Shetty & team. And Happiest birthday to the pillar behind this epic, Vijay Kiragandur. Your vision is changing the game.” Rishab responded to the gesture by quote-tweeting Nivin’s post on X (formerly Twitter) with a simple “Thank you.”

The film, which was released on Thursday, has been receiving thunderous applause from audiences and critics alike. A prequel to the 2022 blockbuster Kantara, the mythological period drama explores the origins of the Bhuta Kola ritual and the ancestral conflict introduced in the first film. Headlined by Rishab as Berme, the film also stars Jayaram, Rukmini Vasanth and Gulshan Devaiah in key roles.

Backed by Vijay Kiragandur and Chaluve Gowda under Hombale Films, Kantara: Chapter 1 has already stormed the box office, reportedly earning nearly ₹60 crore on its opening day. With Arvind S Kashyap’s striking visuals and B Ajaneesh Loknath’s powerful score, the film has been widely praised for its ambitious scale, rooted storytelling and emotional resonance.