A still from ‘Kantara: A Legend Chapter 1’
| Photo Credit: Hombale Films
The makers of Kantara: A Legend Chapter 1have released the much-anticipated trailer for the movie. Directed by and starring Rishab Shetty, the Kannada film is produced by Vijay Kiragandur of Hombale Films.
To be also released in the Malayalam, Hindi, Tamil and Telugu dubbed versions, the much-hyped prequel will hit the screens on October 02, 2025. The new trailer shows Shetty as a fierce warrior who rises against a brutal king, defending villagers trapped under tyranny, hinting at his role as the divine protector foretold in legend.
Rishab and team have adopted a low-key promotional strategy for the movie. Barring the first-look video, the makers chose to not release the traditional teaser for the movie, and the entire cast of the film wasn’t revealed till the launch of the trailer. Rukmini Vasanth plays Kanakavathi and Bollywood actor Gulshan Devaiah essays the role of Kulashekara in the period drama.
Kantara: A Legend Chapter 1 is touted to explore the legacy of the Kadambas. Set in the coastal Karnataka region, the movie is likely to explore the deeper origins of the mythological tradition and ancestral conflict depicted in Kantara, the 2022 sensational blockbuster.
The first part revolved around the Bhuta Kola traditional form of worship practiced in the coastal Karnataka region. The man-nature conflict was another important theme dealt by the movie. The original starred Kishore, Achyuth Kumar and Sapthami Gowda. Rishab clinched his maiden National Award for his performance in the movie.
Music composer Ajaneesh Loknath and cinematographer Arvind Kashyap, who worked in the first part, have been retained for the prequel. Pragathi Rishab Shetty have done the costume designing. Recently, singer-actor Diljit Dosanjh joined the film for a special song.
The makers of Kantara: A Legend Chaper 1 are banking on word-mouth-publicity for the big-budget project. More than 2500 theatres are reported to screen the paid premiere shows of the movie on October 01, a day before the official release. Three years ago, Kantara too had subdued pre-release buzz, before the film became a rage on social media in the opening weekend and went on to became a massive phenomenon.
Kantara: A Legend Chapter 1 was also in the news for wrong reasons. Mimicry artist Kalabhavan Niju, who was part of the movie, passed away in June due to a heart attack. In May, actor and television personality Rakesh Poojary, who plays a part in the film, died at 34 due to cardiac arrest. A week before Rakesh’s death, a crew member from the movie drowned near Udupi, Karnataka. Also, a boat capsized in June in a reservoir during the shooting of the movie, but actor-director Rishab Shetty and 30 crew members escaped unhurt.
Published – September 22, 2025 01:23 pm IST
