The team behind Rishab Shetty's Kantara: Chapter 1 is touring metropolitan cities in India to promote their upcoming prequel, which is slated to open in theatres on October 2. Having completed promotional activities in Bengaluru, Kochi and Hyderabad, Rishab Shetty and team were slated to visit Chennai as a part of their promotional tour. However, on Monday, Hombale Films, the production banner behind the film, announced that the event stands cancelled.

The makers have cancelled the event due to the recent stampede in Karur, which resulted in the demise of 41 people. Sharing a poster of the announcement, they wrote, "Due to the recent unfortunate incident, we are cancelling the #KantaraChapter1 promotional event in Chennai tomorrow. Our thoughts and prayers are with those affected. Thank you for your understanding; we look forward to meeting our audience in Tamil Nadu at a more appropriate time."

The stampede in Karur took place after actor-politician Vijay's political rally in the district took a tragic turn. With 41 people deceased, around 150 others were severely injured and are still undergoing treatment.

Kantara: Chapter 1, a prequel to the 2022 Rishab Shetty directorial, Kantara, also features the director in the lead role as Kaadubettu Shiva. Rukmini Vasanth, Gulshan Devaiah, and Jayaram are new additions to the cast, who are set to be seen in prominent roles.

Kantara: Chapter 1, set during the Kadamba dynasty in pre-colonial Karnataka, follows the Bhuta Kola ritual, which became deeply rooted in the culture, laying the groundwork for the emergence of Kaadubettu Shiva. Pramod Shetty, Rakesh Poojari, Prakash Thuminad, Deepak Rai Panaje, Hariprashanth M G, Shaneel Gautham and Naveen Bondel round out the cast of the upcoming film. The film will feature music composed by Ajaneesh Loknath, editing by Suresh Mallaiah and camera work by Arvind Kashyap.