Day 1: ‘Kantara: Chapter 1’ takes a massive opening

Given the fact that “Kantara” became a box-office rage when it was released in 2022, it was assumed that the prequel, “Kantara: Chapter 1,” would take gargantuan openings. However, the film’s trailer was underwhelming, and advance ticket sales were not encouraging. Hence, trade pundits lowered their estimates for the first-day collections.

But surprisingly, the film picked up steam from the afternoon on its opening day, and the collections turned out to be huge across its domestic Kannada market, as well as the Telugu states and the Hindi market.

:Kantara: Chapter 1,” which opened in theaters on October 2nd, explores the mythological origins of the Bhuta Kola rituals in coastal Karnataka. Blending action and spiritual themes, the film earned Rs 60 crore nett in India on its opening day, with Rs 25–30 crore coming from Karnataka alone and another Rs 20 crore from the Hindi belt. This is a massive opening for the franchise.

The film earning nearly Rs 18 crore nett in the Hindi market, in particular, came as a big surprise.

However, “Kantara: Chapter 1” is receiving mixed responses. A majority of critics, including those from Telugucinema.com, mentioned that the film is no match for the original. NDTV critic Saibal Chatterjee wrote, “The final stretch of Kantara—which comprised about half an hour or thereabouts of screen time—elevated the film to a level that blew audiences away. In Kantara: A Legend – Chapter 1, the finale is not only predictable, it is a tad low on power compared to what Shetty delivered the first time.”