Kantara Chapter 1 release date: Rishab Shetty’s film to hit the theatres in 2025

Kantara, the 2022-released Rishab Shetty starrer emerged as a major critical and commercial success. The movie, written and directed by Rishab Shetty, featured the multi-faceted talent himself in the lead role. The project, bankrolled by Hombale Films broke many pre-existing records of Indian cinema and has been considered a benchmark film. As you may know, Rishab Shetty and the team are currently working on the blockbuster film’s prequel, titled Kantara Chapter 1. The much-awaited project now has a release date.

Kantara Chapter 1 release date is out

Rishab Shetty and the Kantara Chapter 1 team members recently took to their official social media handles and officially announced the film’s release date, with a special post. “The moment has arrived... The divine forest Whispers... Kantara Chapter 1 worldwide grand release on October 2, 2025,” reads the actor-director's X (formerly Twitter) post. The big update has left both the Rishab Shetty fans and Kannada cinema audiences, who have been eagerly waiting for the project, highly excited.

Kantara Chapter 1: Here’s what we know

Even though Rishab Shetty and team Hombale Films have not revealed anything about the Kantara Chapter 1 plot yet, the recent update suggests that the project is a prequel to the 2022-released blockbuster. It has been speculated that the actor-filmmaker is planning to narrate the origin story of Panjurli, who has been mentioned in the first installment, in the upcoming big-budget venture. The movie went on floors after a major period of pre-production, which included detailed research on the folklore subject.

The filming of Kantara Chapter 1 is currently progressing in Kundapura of the Udupi district in Karnataka. Rishab Shetty is set to play the central character in the prequel, while the rest of the star cast has been kept under wrap. Ajaneesh Loknath is returning to compose the songs and the original score for the film. The Kantara prequel is produced by Vijay Kiragandur, under the banner Hombale Films.