Rishab Shetty's Kantara 1, released on October 2, has already etched its name in the history of the year's highest-grossing films. With no major releases for two weeks, Kantara 1 enjoyed a free run at the box office. After completing 14 days, the film minted a whopping Rs 485.40 crore across all languages.
The Kannada film was released in dubbed versions of Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, and Malayalam, with Hindi contributing approximately Rs 160 crore to the total so far. Now the question is: Will Kantara 1 retain its box office hold after Hindi Diwali releases like Thamma and Ek Deewane Ki Deewaniyat, and Tamil releases like Dude and Bison?
Trade experts Taran Adarsh and Komal Nahta answered this query in an exclusive chat with NDTV.
What Trade Experts Said
Komal Nahta and Taran Adarsh agreed that the business of Kantara 1 will be impacted by the new releases. Rishab Shetty's film, which is steadily racing towards Rs 500 crore at the domestic box office, might lose screen counts to the Diwali release starring Rasmika Mandanna and Ayushmann Khurrana. The performance of Kantara 1 will depend on how many screens the film retains in the coming week.
Taran Adarsh told NDTV, "Box office is unpredictable. We have to wait and watch which film takes over Kantara 1. But one thing is certain: the business of Kantara 1 will be limited with so many new releases."
Trade analyst Komal Nahta said, "I think Kantara 1 will mint Rs 175-200 crore in Hindi till Diwali, while the total collection will reach somewhere around Rs 450-470 crore (net)."
"Every film has its run for a certain period and then it gets exhausted. Kantara 1 has already had its glorious business. With Diwali releases around, the film's business will be impacted," added Komal Nahta.
The Thamma Buzz
Advance bookings for Thamma—the latest offering from Maddock Films—have begun today. The film will release on October 21. It is an addition to the horror-comedy universe featuring last year's biggest hit: Stree 2, along with Stree, Bhediya, and Munjya.
"The momentum for Thamma is picking up fast. Ticket sales began on a strong note, and we're seeing steady traction across metros and tier-2 markets alike. Audiences are clearly looking forward to a big-screen entertainer this Diwali," said Ashish Saxena, COO - Cinemas, BookMyShow.
Thamma is being distributed by PVR Inox Pictures. Its distributor-partner in the Mumbai circuit is August Entertainment. According to a Bollywood Hungama report, the distributing house sent a mail demanding a "no-sharing" clause. "They have asked for all shows in single-screen cinemas and two-screen theatres. They have also asked for 12 shows in three-screen multiplexes; this means 100% showcasing on two of the three screens and a show or two in the third screen as well," the report said.
This no-sharing clause has caused a rift between the makers of Thamma and those of Ek Deewane Ki Deewaniyat. Directed by Milap Zaveri, Ek Deewane Ki Deewaniyat stars Harshvardhan Rane and Sonam Bajwa in the lead roles.
Dude, Bison And The Tamil Craze
On October 17, two major Tamil films released in theatres.
Directed by Keerthiswaran, Dude is produced by Mythri Movie Makers and stars Pradeep Ranganathan and Mamitha Baiju in lead roles, alongside Neha Shetty, R. Sarathkumar, Hridhu Haroon, and Rohini. It is Keerthiswaran's directorial debut and Mythri Movie Makers' second Tamil production.
Directed by Mari Selvaraj, Bison Kaalamaadan is jointly produced by Sameer Nair, Deepak Seigal, Pa. Ranjith, and Aditi Anand under Applause Entertainment and Neelam Studios.
The film stars Dhruv Vikram in the lead role, alongside an ensemble cast featuring Pasupathy, Ameer, Lal, Anupama Parameswaran, Rajisha Vijayan, and Azhagam Perumal.
Rishab Shetty-directed Kantara 1, a Kannada film, performed exceptionally well in the Hindi belts. The Hindi collection of the film reached Rs 150 crore before the Kannada version, setting a precedent for South Indian dominance in the Hindi belt.
About The Kantara Franchise
Kantara Chapter 1 is directed by Rishab Shetty, who shares writing credits with Anirudh Mahesh and Shanil Guru.
The film stars Rishab Shetty, Jayaram, Rukmini Vasanth, and Gulshan Devaiah in lead roles.
Kantara Chapter 1 is a prequel to the 2022 film Kantara, also directed by Rishab Shetty, who played the lead role in the original.
Rishab Shetty won the Best Actor National Award for Kantara in 2024. The film also won the National Award for Best Popular Film.
Kantara: A Legend - Chapter 1 is currently the second-highest grossing Kannada film of all time, the second-highest grossing Indian film of 2025, the highest grossing Kannada film of 2025, and also ranks among the highest-grossing Indian films of all time.
