Kantara Chapter 1 roars past Chhaava to become 2025’s biggest box office hit

Kantara Chapter 1 becomes the highet grossing film of the year

With an incredible total of Rs 809 crore at the worldwide box office, Rishab Shetty's Kantara Chapter 1 has swept past Chhaava to take the top spot this year.

Hombale Films' Kannada-language period action drama has made history and broken all the records being the highest grossing film of the year.

The studio announced that the film collected an impressive Rs 717 crore in its first two weeks alone — a figure that turned heads across the industry. They described it as a “milestone moment” for Indian cinema.

In its third week, the film earned another Rs 38 crore net in India and continued its upward march globally, adding Rs 92 crore more in just six days to cross the Rs 800 crore milestone.

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That figure nudged it past Chhaava’s lifetime total of Rs 807 crore — a record many thought would stand unchallenged for months.

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A trade tracking website has placed the film’s earnings slightly lower — around Rs 775 crore worldwide after 21 days — suggesting some discrepancies in regional reporting. According to their data, the film has earned Rs 556.75 crore net in India and roughly $13 million overseas.

An English-language version is expected later this month, which could extend its reach even further.

In this year’s box-office hierarchy, Kantara Chapter 1 leads the way, followed by Chhaava and Mohit Suri’s Saiyaara, which pulled in Rs 576 crore globally. Rajinikanth’s Coolie holds fourth place with Rs 500 crore, while Yash Raj Films’ War 2 completes the top five.

Written, directed, and headlined by Rishab Shetty, Kantara Chapter 1 continues the legacy of the 2022 cult sensation Kantara. With Rukmini Vasanth, Jayaram, and Gulshan Devaiah rounding out the cast, the film has now become the second-highest-grossing Kannada film in history, second only to KGF Chapter 2.