Hombale Films has shared a video of Kantara – It’s Time for Justice, which refers to the much-awaited upcoming film, officially titled “Kantara: Chapter 1.” It is a sequel to the highly successful 2022 Kannada film “Kantara: Chapter 2.” The film stars Rishabh Shetty, Jayaram, Rakesh Poojari, and others. Directed by Rishabh Shetty, the prequel is set to release worldwide on October 2, 2025, in multiple languages.
Kantara: Chapter 1 is expected to delve deeper into the folklore, mythology, and cultural heritage of coastal Karnataka. Especially the ancient roots of the Bhoot Kola tradition and the divine entity, Panjurli. Kantara’s story essentially explores the conflict between nature, people, land ownership, and justice, highlighting the struggle of marginalized communities against powerful landlords and forest officials. “Kantara: Chapter 1” will likely explore the origins of this conflict and the ancestral relationship with the land and its protective deities. Rishabh Shetty is playing the role of a Naga Sadhu with superhuman strength, suggesting a focus on the divine and mystical aspects that were the mainstay of the first film’s success.
Rishabh Shetty’s Perspective: Rishabh Shetty not only directs and writes but also stars in the lead role, showcasing his unique perspective in blending traditional narrative with contemporary storytelling. His performance in the original “Kantara” received significant acclaim, especially the intense climax sequences.
The tagline “It’s Time for Justice” resonates with the main theme of the original film, where divine intervention plays a key role in delivering justice to the oppressed. This theme is expected to be explored further in the prequels.
“Kantara” was a huge commercial and critical success across the pan-India borders, becoming one of the highest-grossing Kannada films of all time. “Kantara: Chapter 1” is being released on a larger scale, aiming for a similar pan-India appeal. The movie’s budget is reportedly around ₹125 crore.
Actor-filmmaker Rishav Shetty has already wrapped up the shooting of his much-awaited film ‘Kantara Chapter 1.’ The producer’ Hombale Films’ announced the completion of the shoot with a new poster of the film on Instagram. Hombale Films is known for blockbuster movies, as it is the studio behind ‘KGF: Chapter 1’ (2018) and ‘KGF: Chapter 2’ (2022).
Earlier this month, the makers also shared a special poster for 42-year-old Rishabh Shetty’s birthday. In the poster, Shetty is seen holding a battle axe and shield, giving a glimpse of his powerful role in the film.
After 250 days, Hombale Films has wrapped up the shooting of ‘Kantara Chapter 1,’ which has given a glimpse of its production. Kantara Chapter 1 will be grandly released in theaters worldwide on October 2nd, reaching fans in Kannada, Hindi, Telugu, Malayalam, Tamil, Bengali, and English.