Kantara Chapter 1 Review: Rishab Shetty‘s highly anticipated prequel, Kantara Chapter 1, has delivered a strong opening at the Hindi box office, collecting ₹18.50 crore net on its first day (Thursday). Film critic Taran Adarsh noted that while franchise hype and the long holiday weekend (Dussehra – Gandhi Jayanti) set high initial expectations, the film’s success is truly a testament to audience feedback. The first Kantara in 2022 was a massive, word-of-mouth hit in the Hindi region, and this prequel looks set to follow the same trend.
The film’s performance on release day was a surprise twist for the trade. Given only moderate advance bookings that picked up just a day before release, a section of the industry was expecting an opening closer to the ₹12 crore range. However, the tide completely turned on Thursday. Strong spot bookings, or ‘walk-ins,’ combined with phenomenal word-of-mouth from early viewers, helped the collection soar past predictions to hit a strong ₹18.50 crore.
Unlike high-buzz, ‘front-loaded’ films like KGF or Pushpa that rely heavily on opening day mania, Kantara Chapter 1 is proving to be a true word-of-mouth film. Analysts predict this positive audience response will fuel significant growth in collections over the coming days. The film is now expected to witness strong gains on Saturday and Sunday, positioning it for a big opening weekend haul at the box office.
