Kantara: Chapter 1 finally hit theatres today, October 2, 2025 and Rishab Shetty has taken a daring route with the follow-up to his 2022 blockbuster. Instead of making a direct sequel, he has gone back in time with a prequel, exploring the ancient myths of the Kantara forest and the lineage that shaped the hero of the first film. The scale, vision, and visual storytelling make this chapter feel bigger and more ambitious. Rishab Shetty, who has written, directed and acted in the mythological action thriller, once again proves his talent. As Berme, he brings out raw strength and intensity, shining the most in the powerful possession sequences that leave a strong impact on the audience. ‘Kantara Chapter 1’ Movie Review: Rishab Shetty Dares To Go Bigger With an Ambitious if Overstuffed Prequel With Three Standout Sequences (LatestLY Exclusive)

‘Kantara: Chapter 1’ Leaked Online in HD

However, the excitement surrounding the release was marred by piracy. Just an hour after hitting theatres, pirated HD versions of Kantara: Chapter 1 including 1080p, 720p, and 300MB compressed copies surfaced on torrent sites and Telegram channels. Popular piracy platforms such as Tamilrockers, Movierulz, Pikashow, and 1337x were reportedly hosting the illegal downloads, raising serious concerns over the impact of piracy on box office collections and OTT content. This is not the first time a major release has been targeted. Despite government crackdowns and efforts to block piracy websites, they continue to resurface under new domains. The makers of Kantara: Chapter 1 have urged fans to support original content by watching the film legally in theatres rather than encouraging piracy.

Watch the Trailer of ‘Kantara: Chapter 1’:

About ‘Kantara: Chapter 1’

Rishab Shetty's mythological action thriller prequel Kantara: Chapter 1 has been cleared by the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) without any cuts to action or violent scenes. The film was awarded U/A certificate. The movie also stars Jayaram, Kishore, Prakash Thuminad and Prakash Thuminad in key roles. The movie is backed by Hombale Films.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Oct 02, 2025 04:17 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).