Kantara: Chapter 1

Kantara: A Legend – Chapter 1 (transl. Mysterious Forest: Chapter 1) is a 2025 Indian Kannada-language epic mythological action drama film co-written and directed by Rishab Shetty, and produced by Vijay Kiragandur and Chaluve Gowda under Hombale Films. The film stars Rishab Shetty in a four roles as Berme, Mayakara, Annappa and Kaadubettu Shiva, along with Jayaram, Rukmini Vasanth, and Gulshan Devaiah. A prequel to the 2022 film Kantara, the story delves deeper into the origins of the tradition and ancestral conflict introduced in the first film. Despite the release of the predecessor, this film is considered to be the first chapter of the franchise.

Set in pre-colonial coastal Karnataka, the prequel blends regional folklore and divinity into a narrative that explores man's relationship with nature. Filming began in November 2023. The first look and the teaser were released on 27 November 2023, respectively. B. Ajaneesh Loknath composed the soundtrack and background score. The film was released on 2 October 2025, coinciding with Dasara.

Like its predecessor, the film received positive reviews from critics and the audience, who praised the visuals and the performance of the cast, and became a commercial success at the box office. Kantara: A Legend – Chapter 1 is currently the second-highest grossing Kannada film of all time, second highest grossing Indian film of 2025 and also ranks among highest-grossing Indian films of all time.