Rishab Shetty's epic Kantara prequel, Kantara: Chapter 1 has been riding high in the box office with plenty of positive feedback from those within and outside the industry. Last night, Ram Gopal Varma took to X to praise the film. In his post, the Satya filmmaker said that Kantara: Chapter 1 is a "fantastic" film that would put other filmmakers in India to shame. The filmmaker praised the "unimaginable effort Rishab Shetty and his team put in the BGM, sound design, cinematography, production design and VFX" departments. Describing the film's content as "a bonus", Ram Gopal Varma said that the makers' effort behind it should be rewarded with a "blockbuster" status. The filmmaker also said that he is unable to choose between the multiple roles that Rishab plays in cinema. "I can't decide whether you are a greater director or a greater actor," he wrote referring to Rishab.

In reply, Rishab said that he is "just a cinema lover" before thanking Ram Gopal Varma for "all the love and support."

However, the Company director doubled down on his praise for the Kantara prequel and its creator Rishab.

Calling it a "magnum opus" and "a new kind of cinema," Ram Gopal Varma said the film is a prime example of "how to really make cinema" on the big screen. "All of us concerned are having a cinematic mega orgasm," the filmmaker wrote at the end of his post.

Kantara: Chapter 1 explores Kaadubettu Shiva’s (Rishab) origins, dating back to the days of the Kadamba dynasty. It also stars Rukmini Vasanth, Gulshan Devaiah, and Jayaram, among others.