02 October,2025 04:03 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondent
L- Fan acts possessed; R- Still from Kantara Chapter 1
Rishab Shetty's directorial Kantara Chapter 1 released in theatres today. The film was highly anticipated following the success of its 2022 predecessor. Kantara had introduced audiences to the rich cultures and traditions of coastal Karnataka, and the prequel delves even deeper into the same.
Several fans were seen arriving at theatres for the first-day, first-show screening of Kantara Chapter 1. Like the original, the film features Rishab Shetty's character getting possessed by Guliga, a mythological divine figure. After watching the film, one fan was seen mimicking Shetty's possessed character. Dressed in an off-white mundu and shirt, the man imitated the way Rishab Shetty performs when possessed by Guliga. Videos of the fan went viral on social media, with onlookers calmly recording the moment on their phones.
Meanwhile, in visuals from Bengaluru, a cinema hall was decorated with flowers, posters, and other elements celebrating Kantara Chapter 1. A long cut-out of Shetty's character, completely covered in floral garlands, was also installed.
On the other hand, Shetty was seen doing theatre rounds on release day to witness audience reaction to the film. He was accompanied by his wife Pragathi who worked as the costume designer on the film. In one video doing the rounds, Pragathi was seen getting overwhelmed by the love for the film and was seen hiding behind Rishab to hide her happy tears.
While the film is expected to enjoy a long theatrical run, it will later be available for streaming. The streaming rights have been sold to Amazon Prime Video, which also hosts Kantara (2022). Reportedly, the deal was finalized for a whopping Rs 125 crore, making Kantara: Chapter 1 one of the highest-paid Kannada films for post-theatrical streaming, second only to KGF 2.
The film is expected to release on Prime Video in multiple languages - Kannada, Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, and Hindi - offering a pan-India OTT experience. The mythological epic is slated to premiere on October 30, exactly four weeks after its theatrical release. However, the Hindi dubbed version may arrive only after eight weeks, following industry norms. The platform is yet to make an official announcement.
