Hombale Films has struck the jackpot once again, adding to their list of cultural blockbusters. Their newest offering, the period folk action thriller Kantara: Chapter 1, has zoomed past the Rs 335 crore mark worldwide in a four-day extended opening weekend, further cementing its status as a monumental success.
The film, which premiered on the holiday of Gandhi Jayanti (October 2nd), successfully capitalised on the subsequent long weekend, achieving a staggering worldwide gross of 335 crore in just four days. This monumental figure marks an all-time record for a Kannada film in its opening four days and demonstrates a soaring collection trend with each passing day. The movie's phenomenal run has not only surpassed all other Kannada releases this year but is also shattering the records of various pan-India films across different languages.
With this collection, Kantara: Chapter 1 has surpassed the total collections of big releases like Sitaare Zameen Par (Rs 266 crore) and Lokah Chapter 1 (Rs 290 crore) and even beat the lifetime collection of HanuMan (Rs 298 crore). It has also outperformed KGF Chapter 1 worldwide (Rs 248 crore). Now, it's the third-highest-grossing Kannada film, only behind KGF 2 and the first Kantara. It's on track to cross its predecessor's collection soon and potentially become the first Indian film to breach ₹1000 crore this year.
The domestic market has been electric, with the film showing immense strength in its home state. Karnataka alone contributed a huge sum of Rs 65 crore to the total collection in the first four days. Sunday (October 5th) was particularly lucrative, reportedly bringing in 16 crore from Karnataka.
The dubbed versions have also performed exceptionally well, proving the film's universal appeal. The Telugu version is a major success, raking in Rs 47 crore so far, while the Tamil version is quickly gaining momentum with a collection of Rs 22 crore in four days. The Hindi version, which some initially speculated might struggle, has roared back, securing its highest single-day collection on the fourth day. Its total India gross stands at an impressive Rs 75 crore.
With Kantara: Chapter 1, Rishab Shetty has once again proven his mastery, delivering a cultural phenomenon that continues to draw widespread praise from film personalities across industries, solidifying his status as a cinematic powerhouse. The film is poised to establish new box office milestones in the coming days. The film, apart from Rishab Shetty, features Rukmini Vasanth, along with Jayaram and Gulshan Devaiah in pivotal roles. The film has Arvind Kashyap's cinematography and music by Ajaneesh Loknath.