Rishab Shetty’s highly anticipated prequel, Kantara: A Legend Chapter 1, has achieved a remarkable milestone by surpassing the collections of Bollywood blockbusters 3 Idiots and Mission Mangal to secure the 43rd position among the biggest hits in Hindi cinema. The Hindi version of the film has crossed the impressive Rs 200 crore mark, currently standing at Rs 205 crore, while the overall collection across all languages has reached a staggering Rs 589.5 crore after 25 days of release.
The film has demonstrated exceptional staying power at the box office, adding Rs 4.5 crore on its 25th day alone. This achievement places it ahead of Aamir Khan’s 3 Idiots, which earned Rs 202.47 crore in its Hindi theatrical run; Shah Rukh Khan’s Happy New Year with Rs 199.95 crore, and Akshay Kumar’s Mission Mangal, which collected Rs 203.08 crore.
Week-by-Week Performance
The film’s box office journey has been nothing short of spectacular. Kantara: A Legend Chapter 1 opened with Rs 61.85 crore on its first day and accumulated Rs 337.4 crore during its opening week. The momentum continued through subsequent weeks, with the second week bringing in Rs 147.85 crore and the third week contributing Rs 78.85 crore.
During its fourth weekend, the film witnessed a 47% increase in collections, earning Rs 9 crore on Saturday and Rs 10.4 crore on Sunday. The Hindi version has been performing exceptionally well, earning Rs 4.85 crore on the fourth Saturday, even surpassing the Kannada version’s Rs 2.85 crore collection.
Breaking Records and Setting Benchmarks
The film’s success extends beyond just surpassing individual titles. Kantara: A Legend Chapter 1 has emerged as the highest-grossing Indian film of 2025, overtaking Vicky Kaushal’s Chhaava, which had collected Rs 807 crore worldwide. The production house, Hombale Films, announced that the film earned Rs 717 crore worldwide in its first two weeks alone.
Industry analysts project that the Hindi version could potentially reach Rs 220-230 crore, positioning it among the top 30 biggest hits in Hindi cinema. The film became India’s 12th biggest hit in just 11 days, outpacing the legendary Baahubali: The Beginning.
Theater Occupancy Rates
The film continues to maintain strong occupancy rates across different language markets even in its fourth week. On Sunday, the 25th day of release, Kantara: A Legend Chapter 1 recorded an overall 40.51% Kannada occupancy, along with 26.50% Telugu occupancy, 35.72% Hindi occupancy, 49.24% Tamil occupancy, and 24.81% Malayalam occupancy.
On Monday, the film maintained 12.42% Kannada occupancy with evening and night shows recording 15.33% and 15.36% respectively, demonstrating sustained audience interest.
International Success
The film’s appeal has transcended geographical boundaries, with impressive collections in international markets. In North America, Kantara: A Legend Chapter 1 has become the second biggest Indian hit of 2025, earning USD 4.66 million (approximately Rs 40.92 crore). The makers recently announced that the film had collected $4.7 million (nearly Rs 41.5 crore) in North America alone.
The film has also performed well in other overseas markets, including Australia, the United Kingdom, Malaysia, Germany, and New Zealand, contributing significantly to its worldwide gross collections.
About the Film
Kantara: A Legend Chapter 1 serves as a prequel to the 2022 blockbuster Kantara, exploring the origins of the divine forest and the Daivas. Set in the 4th century, the story focuses on the conflict between tribal leader Berme, played by Rishab Shetty, and the encroaching Kadamba kingdom vying for control of resource-rich land.
Produced by Hombale Films with a reported budget of Rs 125 crore, the film also features Rukmini Vasanth, Jayaram, and Gulshan Devaiah in key roles. Released on October 2, 2025, across multiple languages including Kannada, Hindi, Telugu, Malayalam, Tamil, Bengali, and English, the film continues to enjoy theatrical success.
The film has also become the second-highest-grossing Kannada film of all time, trailing only behind KGF Chapter 2. With projections suggesting it could potentially reach the Rs 600 crore mark domestically, Kantara: A Legend Chapter 1 remains one of the most successful Indian films of the year, reaffirming the power of regional cinema on the national stage.
By – Sonali