Rishab Shetty’s Kantara: Chapter 1, one of the most awaited films of the year, is gearing up for a massive rollout that promises to be nothing short of historic. While the official release is locked for October 2, the celebrations will begin a day early with paid premieres on the evening of October 1, setting the stage for a record-breaking opening.
The film, produced by Hombale Films, is eyeing nothing less than a festival-like launch. And the strong buzz is paid premieres are planned across 2,500 plus screens in multiple langauges, in India and abroad, making it one of the largest ever premiere runs for a Kannada film, dubbed and released in over 7 languages — Kannada, Malayalam, Tamil, Telugu, Hindi, Bengali and English — underscoring its pan-Indian ambition. The move is expected to generate early buzz, with packed houses on Day 0 driving strong word-of-mouth for its official release. Beyond domestic markets, the film is set for a simultaneous release across the globe, except China, and fans get a front-row seat to the spectacle.
The prequel digs deeper into the myth, folklore, and spiritual traditions that powered the first Kantara into becoming a cultural phenomenon in 2022. With Rishab Shetty once again leading from the front, expectations are sky-high that Chapter 1 will match, if not surpass, the magic of its predecessor.
In another major development, the film which is made with a huge budget, and the digital rights have already been snapped up by Amazon Prime Video for a staggering ₹125 crore deal, securing its position as one of the most valuable Kannada films ever, with big productions houses across India and overseas taking up the distribution rights of the film.
But beyond business, the October 1 premieres are likely to become a landmark event in themselves. Paid previews have traditionally been reserved for pan-Indian spectacles, and industry insiders suggest advance bookings could hit unprecedented levels, with several shows already witnessing strong demand.
As anticipation builds, Karnataka’s ticket pricing battle in the High Court adds an extra layer of intrigue. A ruling on uniform ticket prices could directly impact the box-office math for Kantara: Chapter 1. For now, though, fans are focused on one thing: being part of the first audiences to witness the saga as the screens light up on October 1.