Rishab Shetty talks about taking regional cinema global with Kantara Chapter 1

Rishab Shetty

Kantara Chapter 1 is taking the audience and cinema halls by storm. The actor and director of the film, Rishab Shetty, who is busy basking in the success and all the positive reviews, recently opened up about the film. He spoke about how pushing regional cinema is essential for Indian cinema to go global.

Rishab Shetty about Kantara Chapter 1 success

At a recent event held in honour of the film's historic success, Rishab opened up about its journey and impact, saying, "From the last part to this one, we've visually expanded the film. I've said before that the more regional we go, the more global we'll become, and that's exactly what happened."

He further reflected on his powerful portrayal of Daiva Guliga, saying, "This film and character were my dream, which my team made theirs, and now it's become the public's dream. My energy has been transferred to the public." His words echoed the deep cultural roots and vision that have made the film a national sensation.

Kantara Chapter 1 is set in pre-colonial Karnataka during the reign of the Kadambas from Banavasi. The film brings forth the conflict between the tribals of the Kantara forest and a tyrannical king, played by Gulshan Devaiah. The movie is a prequel to Shetty's 2022 blockbuster Kantara, which turned out to become a cultural phenomenon for its rooted storytelling, exploration of folklore and divine traditions of coastal Karnataka. It also went on to become one of the highest-grossing Kannada films of all time.

Kantara Chapter 1 box office collection

Actor-director Rishab Shetty's Kantara: Chapter 1 has been taking the box office by storm, grossing Rs 427.5 crore worldwide within just six days of release, the makers said in a statement. In the statement, the makers said the film is on track to reach Rs 500 crore in its opening week.

"In just six days, 'Kantara: Chapter 1' has collected a staggering Rs 427.5 crore worldwide, emerging as a global phenomenon. With such an extraordinary pace, the film is expected to touch the Rs 500 crore mark within a week and is steadily inching closer to the historic Rs 1000 crore milestone.

"The strong word-of-mouth, glowing reviews, and massive buzz across social media are all working in the film's favour," the makers said.