What started as a rooted Kannada story has evolved into a worldwide cinematic movement. Kantara: Chapter 1, Rishab Shetty’s bold prequel to the 2022 blockbuster Kantara, will have its English-language release on October 31.
Hombale Films announced the news as the film nears the Rs 800 crore milestone globally, making it one of 2025’s biggest Indian releases that continues to break regional box office records. The film, which has already enjoyed significant revenue and footfall in Tamil, Telugu, Hindi, Kannada and Malayalam, will now be released in English as well, an attempt at extending its gripping narrative beyond language barriers.
The new version will have a shorter runtime of 2 hours 14 minutes, compared to the original 2 hours 49 minutes to attract a wider audience. It remains to be seen how this approach will play out, as the film has already resonated with its core audience in India.
Written, directed, and led by Rishab Shetty, Kantara: Chapter 1 expands on the spiritual universe that drew in audiences in 2022. The film combines folklore, faith, and nature-worship into an engaging mythological story that connects to both cultural roots and universal feelings.
Currently, it is one of the most-watched Indian films of the year and is expected to soon take the top spot in both viewership and box-office earnings. With support from distributors like Phars Film, Prathyangira US, and Dream Screens International, the "divine blockbuster" continues to bring together audiences through faith, devotion, and cinema. As it approaches the impressive Rs 800 crore milestone, the film stands alongside the biggest Indian successes, surpassing records previously held by Baahubali 2, KGF: Chapter 2, and RRR. Hombale Films also plans to submit the prequel for Oscar consideration.
With music by Ajaneesh Loknath, cinematography by Arvind Kashyap, editing by Suresh Mallaiah, production design by Vinesh Banglan along with Dharani Gangeputhra, costumes by Pragathi Shetty, and stunts by Arjun Ramu and Todor Lazarov, the film stars Rukmini Vasanth in the female lead role, along with Gulshan Devaiah and Jayaram among the ensemble cast.
