Kantara Chapter One Trailer Review: Rishab Shetty’s Prequel Promises Epic Visuals

Shanti Swaroop Tripathi

Hombale Films’ action and emotion-packed Kantara, directed by Rishab Shetty, released in 2022. Now, on October 2, Kantara Chapter One will hit theatres. This is not a sequel but a prequel to the 2022 film. On September 22, Hombale Films released the trailer of Kantara Chapter One.

Kantara Chapter One Trailer sparks Kannada cinema rise

The trailer of Kantara Chapter One is so visually powerful that it instantly reminded us of an incident from 12 years ago. In 2013, during the promotion of producer Shashi Ranjan’s Hindi film Wedding Pullav (released later), actor Diganta Manchale had come to Mumbai. Diganta has been acting in Kannada films since 2006 and continues to be a star in the industry. Wedding Pullav was his first Hindi film. At that time, Diganta said that Bollywood and the Kannada film industry were not even comparable. Moreover, according to him, 12 years ago, among the four South Indian film industries, the Kannada industry was the weakest, ranking fourth. But the progress made by the Kannada film industry post-2017 has left everyone stunned. Actor Yash’s KGF and Rishab Shetty’s Kantara changed all equations. Today, the Kannada film industry isn’t just challenging other southern industries but has also emerged as Bollywood’s biggest competition. A huge credit for this goes to producer Vijay Kiragandur’s company, Hombale Films.

Mahavatar Narasimha Box Office crosses ₹325 crores

We must also remember that on July 25, 2025, an animation film Mahavatar Narasimha was released. Made with a budget of ₹20 crores, it has earned over ₹325 crores at the box office so far and is still running in theatres. The film’s success lies mainly in its VFX, and it too was produced by Hombale Films. Back when we reviewed Mahavatar Narasimha, we had clearly said that the kind of VFX used in it would have certainly given sleepless nights to Nitesh Tiwari, who is making the big-budget Ramayana. Now, the kind of visuals and VFX seen in the trailer of Kantara Chapter One pose a huge challenge not only to Bollywood’s top filmmakers but also to Nitesh Tiwari.

Coming to the trailer of Kantara Chapter One. It not only connects viewers to the earlier Kantara but also provokes curiosity to watch this prequel. The very first scene shows a child asking: “Where did my father disappear?” The visuals don’t reveal the complete story but spark immense curiosity in the viewer’s mind. The success of any film depends on whether its trailer generates questions and curiosity. The other striking aspect is that the trailer’s visuals are far more powerful than expected and hold the viewer’s attention completely for three minutes. The trailer takes us on a journey through the world of Kantara. This time, the makers have left no stone unturned to add grandeur.

The 2022 Kantara was made for just ₹14 crores and earned over ₹450 crores. This time, the film’s budget is ₹125 crores. The trailer is jaw-dropping, making it clear that the film could shake Bollywood to its core. On October 2, it may flood the box office and create new history, which could spell doom for other films releasing on the same day. People will ask: if a ₹125-crore Kannada film can be this grand and high-quality, why can’t Bollywood deliver the same even with a ₹500-crore budget?

As mentioned earlier, Kantara Chapter One is not a sequel but a prequel, taking us back several years. Another difference is that this time, unlike in the earlier film, the villain has been revealed right in the trailer. Story-wise, the film is rooted in several legends. The earlier Kantara dealt with social discrimination and conflict where a landlord exploited the villagers. The prequel, however, is set before 1847 during the Kadambas dynasty, portraying the conflict between Banjara king Kulsheshar (played by Gulshan Devaiah) and the villagers of Kantara. Kulsheshar is shown as a tyrant.

The Kantara villagers produce spices, especially cardamom. They are forced to give one-third of their total yield to King Kulsheshar but are not allowed to enter Banjara territory. Hence, they leave the produce at the border for the king’s men to collect. In Kantara lives Berme (Rishab Shetty) with his father. From the trailer, it seems that the conflict between the Banjara king and Kantara may have two reasons: first, Berme is trading cardamom directly with foreigners via the port; second, Berme and Banjara princess Kanakavati (Rukmini Vasanth) are in love—or perhaps both reasons.

The trailer also shows a meteor strike. Does Berme gain divine powers through this? Eventually, the story is about the eternal belief: “Whenever tyranny, untruth, injustice, and sin rise on Earth, God will incarnate to destroy them.” A young Berme is seen in a pit where he acquires divine powers, his eyes glowing with light. The audience will also want to know: Who is the tiger in the forest? Why does it protect Berme? The film will also touch upon Kantara’s clan deity Panjuri, the sacred stone flowing in the river, and the true intentions of foreigners trading with the villagers. Could it also involve the village deity and a Brahma Rakshasa?

The trailer makes it evident that the film is extremely powerful in terms of VFX, CGI, and technical quality. The visuals look strikingly real. Alongside action and emotion, religion is also deeply woven into the story. If theatres turn into temples after Kantara Chapter One releases, it would not be surprising—though some may sneer at this aspect.

Overall, the trailer builds immense excitement to watch Kantara Chapter One.

Produced under the Hombale Films banner by Vijay Kiragandur, the film is written and directed by Rishab Shetty, who also plays the lead role of Berme. Cinematography is by Arvind Kashyap. The cast includes Rishab Shetty, Gulshan Devaiah, Rukmini Vasanth, Jayaram, Pramod Shetty, Rakesh Pujari, Prakash Thumbeenad, Deepak Rai Panje, and others.

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