Kantara: Chapter 1 is a personal affair for costume designer Pragathi Shetty as she travelled with the film throughout its 250 days of shooting. But beyond that the director Rishab Shetty is her husband.

In an exclusive conversation with CE, Pragathi said, "He always sees me as a critic. He would say, 'I listen like an audience' and expect me to say what works. That way I could understand the world he wanted to build, and translate that into costumes that felt alive."

Speaking about the film, Pragathi said, "Every character had variations depending on the stage of their life. From silhouettes to patterns, every shade was deliberate. Rishab and I worked very closely on this, and every department complemented each other—cinematography, art, costumes. We understood we were building one world."

Kantara: Chapter 1 has grossed beyond Rs 655 crore in its world wide collection. It has also become the highest grossing Kannada film, collecting Rs 191 crore in Karnataka.