
Kantara: A Legend – Chapter 1
3rd of 97 in Sandalwood
- Out-grossed 99% of Sandalwood releases with reported figures ($100M).
- Returned 7.1× its budget, against an industry median of 2.1×.
- Momentum in the 100th percentile.
- Audience rating 7.3 from 99 votes, the 85th percentile.
- Cost
- $14M
- Took
- $100M
Against a Sandalwood median of 2.1×, so this one returned 3.4 times what a typical release there does.
The money says blockbuster. What do you say?
Set in 300 CE during the reign of the Kadamba dynasty in the sacred forests of Banavasi, the story serves as a prequel to the 2022 film. It explores the mythic origins of the Panjurli Daiva and Guliga Daiva divinities. The narrative follows Berme, a fierce warrior and Naga Sadhu gifted with superhuman strength and spiritual insight. Berme leads the tribal communities of the Kantara forest in an epic struggle against the tyrannical King Vijayendra and Prince Kulashekara, who seek to seize the land for its resources and suppress the local traditions. The film blends historical drama with folklore and supernatural elements, depicting the divine protection of nature and the cultural roots of the Bhuta Kola tradition.
- Released
- 2 October 2025
- Runtime
- 2h 45m
- Language
- Kannada
- Industry
- Sandalwood
- Rishab ShettyBerme / Mayakara
- Rukmini VasanthPrincess Kanakavathi
- JayaramKing Rajashekara
- Gulshan DevaiahPrince Kulashekara
- Ramitha ShailendraRajamatha Rajalakshmi
- Pramod ShettyBhogendra
- Director
- Rishab Shetty
- Original Music Composer
- B. Ajaneesh Loknath
- Director of Photography
- Arvind Kashyap
- Producer
- Vijay Kiragandur