Rishab Shetty's Kantara: Chapter 1 Eyes Record Pre-Release Business In Telugu States
Hyderabad, September 1 - Actor and director Rishab Shetty's highly-anticipated folk action drama prequel Kantara: Chapter 1 is looking at the record theatrical business in the Telugu states, in which the first film, Kantara, was a big success.
The expectations from Kanatara Chapter 1 are sky high, since the original film became a massive blockbuster. Despite being the Kannada origin title, the trade is highly optimistic about the upcoming film's success in North India and Telugu states, where the stakes are higher than before.
As the film is getting nearer to its release date, the makers have started negotiating the business for the film, and for the Telugu states (Andhra Pradesh and Telangana), the film is targeting a staggering over 100 crore pre-release theatrical business.
According to the Telugu media reports, the makers are quoting 40 crores for Nizam and 45 crores for Andhra. For the entire AP/TG, the pre-release business is said to be closing around 100 crores on a full recoverable advance basis. The business is expected to be locked on or around this price tag, which is the highest ever for a non-Telugu movie.
Moreover, the quoted price for the Telugu states is usually reserved only for tier-1 star heroes of Tollywood. To break even, Kantara Chapter 1 will need to gross over 170 crores in the Telugu states, which is more than thrice the AP/TG gross collection of Kantara.
There is definitely a huge buzz for the film in Telugu states, but to recover that business won't be easy for it, especially knowing the superstar Pawan Kalyan's They Call Him OG is releasing just a week before on September 25. OG is easily the most hyped film of PK in recent times, and is expected to do wonders at the box office. If the talks are positive, it will badly impact the forthcoming movies in the Telugu states.
Produced by Hombale Films, Kantara Chapter 1 is the prequel to the 2022 film Kantara, as the story delves deeper into the origins of the divine tradition and ancestral conflict introduced in the first film. It stars Rishab Shetty, who has also directed it, in the lead role alongside Rukmini Vasanth, Gulshan Devaiah, and Jayaram in key roles. The film is scheduled to release on October 2nd in multiple languages.
Stay tuned...