Kantara: Chapter 1

Kantara: Chapter 1 is an upcoming Indian Kannada-language period fantasy action thriller film set during the reign of Kadambas of Banavasi written and directed by Rishab Shetty, and produced by Vijay Kiragandur, under Hombale Films. It is a prequel to the 2022 film Kantara. The film stars Rishab Shetty and Jayaram in the lead roles.

Filming began in November 2023. The first look and teaser was released on 27 November 2023. Rishab Shetty plays the role of a Naga Sadhu with superhuman powers. The publicity poster was designed by Kaani Studio. B. Ajaneesh Loknath composed the soundtrack and background score. The film will be released on 2 October 2025, coinciding with Gandhi Jayanti.

Cast

Rishab Shetty
Jayaram
Kishore
Jayasurya
Jisshu Sengupta

Production

The film was produced by Vijay Kiragandur through Hombale Films. Shetty learned horse riding, Kalaripayattu and sword fighting for the role.

The film features a grand war sequence choreographed by national and international experts. The sequence includes over 500 skilled fighters and a total cast of nearly 3,000. Shot on a 25-acre set in Karnataka's mountains, the war sequence took nearly 50 days to film.

Soundtrack

The film's soundtrack album and background score were composed by B. Ajaneesh Loknath, who had composed for the prequel, Kantara.

Release

Theatrical

Kantara: Chapter 1 is scheduled for a theatrical release on 2 October 2025, coinciding with Gandhi Jayanti.The film will also release the dubbed versions including Telugu, Hindi, Tamil, English and Malayalam.