Hombale Films’ and Rishab Shetty’s Kantara: Chapter 1 emerges as the biggest cinematic event of the year. After the phenomenal success of Kantara in 2022, audiences had been eagerly awaiting its prequel. With the trailer finally unveiled, it came loaded with spine-tingling moments and soul-stirring visuals. It doesn’t just meet expectations, it surpasses them, setting the stage for a cinematic storm like no other. Making history, the trailer garnered over 107 million views and 3.4 million likes in just 24 hours. Adding yet another triumph to its name, it has also become the most shared trailer in a single day.
Yes, the trailer of Kantara: Chapter 1 is setting new benchmarks of success. While it has garnered tremendous love and appreciation from all quarters, its record as the most shared trailer in 24 hours stands out. As of now, the trailer has crossed an astounding 160+ million views. This truly signifies the trailer’s success because while views can be inorganic, the act of sharing reflects genuine excitement among audiences. It also shows that people have taken pride in the film and embraced it as their own.
As the film’s release draws closer, Rishab Shetty, in an interview, expressed how he wanted Hombale Films, the production house behind the project, to be actively involved in the process and present throughout the making, and how their inputs mattered to him. Rishab Shetty emphasized the importance of producers in filmmaking, saying, “Agar sirf profit aur paisa hi sochte, toh yeh possible hi nahi hota. Yeh bahut hi rare hai. Story ko kya chahiye? Normally producers story sunte hi nahi. Ek baar Kantara hit ho gayi, toh bolte theek hai, ab karlo aur chhod do. Lekin mujhe woh nahi chahiye tha. Mujhe chahiye tha ki woh process mein involved ho.”
He shared how improvised after taking inputs from he makers and how he wanted them to be aware of what they were creating, saying, “Poora production team, production house ko maine itni baar bulaya, 15 baar lagbhag, sabko bithaya—mera DOP, designer, Pragathi, art, production team, sabko. 14-15 baar maine poori story narrate ki. Toh jo inputs aate the, unko dekh kar hum improvise karte the. Aur sabko idea hona chahiye ki woh kya kar rahe hain. Us process mein production ne bahut support diya. Aur meri taraf se main sirf yeh kehna chahta hoon thank you Hombale"
Kantara: Chapter 1 is one of Hombale Films’ most ambitious undertakings. The creative team includes music director B. Ajaneesh Loknath, cinematographer Arvind Kashyap, and production designer Vinesh Banglan, all of whom have shaped the film’s powerful visual and emotional narrative. Scheduled for a worldwide release on October 2, the film will launch in Kannada, Hindi, Telugu, Malayalam, Tamil, Bengali, and English, reaching audiences across languages and regions while remaining deeply rooted in its cultural core.