Kantara: Chapter 1 Review: Fans Hail Rishab Shetty Directorial, Say Another National Award is Loading

 Rishab Shetty’s Kantara Chapter 1, the second part of the franchise that began in 2022, was released in theatres on Gandhi Jayanti. On its first day of release, the film has managed to impress the audience. The visionary actor-director has brought alive yet another cinematic spectacle that blends culture, devotion, and mass action on the big screen.  Fans  are hailing his brilliance and calling him the man who continues to set new benchmarks in storytelling.

Netizens have flooded social media with reactions, turning Kantara Chapter 1 into a digital storm. One user shared, “Another National Award Loading... Rishab Shetty does it again.. lots of goosebumps moment in whole film,” while another hailed, “#KantaraChapter1 = Pure Fire! Standing ovation by the audience! Next stop: 1000cr club.” A fan called the film’s second half “a mad ride from start to finish backed by an absolutely terrific performance by @shetty_rishab ������ He deserves all the awards that exist! Must watch on the big screen. BONKERS of a BLOCKBUSTER ������.” Another netizen wrote, “Amazing climax with great acting by Rishab Shetty #KantaraChapter1Review,” while one more added, “It’s a tough situation for @shetty_rishab Sir to handle this but he nailed it.” Praising its cultural grandeur, a user posted, “A Cinematic Spectacle that Blends Culture, Devotion & Mass Action �� Rishab Shetty once again proves why Kantara is not just a film, it’s an experience!” Reviews also highlighted, “Rishab Shetty TopNotch Perf, esp Climax 20Mins. Rukmini gets a solid role. Backbone of d film is Ajaneesh’s BGM. Great Prodn Values… Intrvl Fight, Guliga Seq & Climax r Fantastic. WORTH a Watch!”

2nd half is a mad ride from start to finish backed by an absolutely terrific performance by @shetty_rishab 🔥🔥🔥 He deserves all the awards that exist! Must watch on the big screen. BONKERS of a BLOCKBUSTER 💥💥💥 #KantaraChapter1#Kantarahttps://t.co/3rJidGpw4R

— RGK 🍀 (@iamrgk_) October 2, 2025

#KantaraChapter1 is a solid prequel to Kantara. Script written and Screen Play of the movie are top notch.
Majorly Cast and their acting blown audience mind. It's a tough situation to @shetty_rishab Sir to handle this but he nailed it.
Any way it's a worth watchable movie 🍿.…

— Narendar Views (@CRanapangu) October 2, 2025

#KantaraChapter1 - RishabShetty TopNotch Perf, esp Climax 20Mins. Rukmini gets a solid role. Backbone of d film is Ajaneesh’s BGM. Great Prodn Values. Avg directionless 1st Hlf with Flat Comedy & Emotions. Gud 2nd Hlf. Intrvl Fight, Guliga Seq & Climax r Fantastic. WORTH a Watch!

— Christopher Kanagaraj (@Chrissuccess) October 2, 2025

The second part of the franchise was announced after the monstrous success of the original film in 2022. It has been in the making since March 2023 and since then, there have been many reports about accidents on the set of the film. Reportedly, a few months ago, a boat carrying around 30 people, including director Rishab Shetty, capsized mid-stream. Fortunately, there were no fatalities or severe injuries. In 2024, a bus carrying the crew members overturned resulting in a few injuries. At the time, Hombale Films said that the injuries were not severe. Kantara Chapter 1 had over 8800 shows in India, and was released in Kannada, Telugu, Tamil, Hindi and Malayalam. In Hindi, the film had around 4700 shows with around 30 percent overall occupancy, and in Kannada, the film had around 1500 shows, with around 88 percent overall occupancy.

In Telugu, Tamil and Malayalam, the film had around 1000, 840 and 600 shows, respectively, with Telugu and Tamil witnessing over 70 percent occupancy, and Malayalam observing around 65 percent occupancy.Earlier this year, Hombale Films, which also produced Kantara Chapter 1, had a major success with Mahavatar Narsimha. The film made Rs 250 crore in India, and Rs 325 crore worldwide. Kantara Chapter 1’s start has been almost as good as Ranjinikanth’s Coolie, which made Rs 65 crore on its first day in India.