Hombale Films has struck gold again with Rishab Shetty's period folk action thriller Kantara: Chapter 1, which is now heading for a massive over 300 crore extended opening weekend at the global box office.
According to a report in Sacnilk, the film opened to an impressive Rs 88 crore on day one and held strong on Friday with around Rs 64 crore. On Saturday (October 4, the third day of its release), the prequel witnessed a surge of over 25 per cent, grossing an estimated Rs 82 crore at the box office.
This pushed the film's worldwide three-day total to approximately Rs 234 crore.
At the domestic box office, Kantara: Chapter 1 has amassed roughly Rs 195 crore, while overseas collections stand at Rs 38-39 crore after three days. With Sunday's collections still coming in, the blockbuster is projected to cross Rs 250 crore in India and Rs 50+ crore overseas, bringing the extended four-day opening weekend worldwide close to Rs 300 crore.
The phenomenal response cements Kantara: Chapter 1 as one of the biggest hits of the year, setting the stage for a record-breaking run in theatres.
The pan-India release benefited from massive hype, strong advance bookings, and glowing early reviews.
The cast, led by Rishab himself alongside Rukmini Vasanth, Gulshan Devaiah, and Jayaram, has played a key role in drawing nationwide audiences. With word-of-mouth spreading rapidly, trade experts predict that the film will witness growth over the weekend, particularly in Hindi-speaking markets.
The comparison with its predecessor is striking. The original Kantara opened modestly at around Rs 1.27 crore, relying on word-of-mouth to achieve a lifetime total of Rs 81.1 crore. In contrast, Kantara: Chapter 1 has delivered an opening that is over 1400 per cent higher. This has set the stage for a historic box office run.
