Kantara Chapter 1 Faces Shocking Losses In Key Region

'Kantara Chapter 1' starring Rishab Shetty has collected worldwide box office Rs 655 crore, surpassing Salman Khan's 'Sultan' and Prabhas starrer 'Baahubali'

But the Overseas success can be unpredictable, no matter how well a film performs at home. Kantara Chapter 1 earned around $4 million in the USA, far below the $8 million needed to break even, leaving foreign distributors facing notable losses.

The movie was bought at a high price by US distributors who depended entirely on box office returns. Despite strong performance in India under Hombale Productions, the overseas market proved tough. With the US theatrical run almost complete, total earnings are expected to reach only about $4.5 million.

Timing added to the challenge. Four major films were released during Diwali week: Pradeep Ranganath's youth comedy 'Dude' starring Mamitha Baiju and Siddu Jonnalagadda's 'Telusu Kada' and Kiran Abbavaram's 'K-Ramp' and Rashmika Mandanna's horror comedy 'Thamma', dividing audiences and limiting Kantara’s potential. Even good word-of-mouth couldn’t overcome the competition, showing how overpricing can hurt even strong content with low collections.

These losses don’t affect the film’s success in India, where audiences responded enthusiastically, enjoying each scene and song and the grander visuals. For foreign buyers, it’s a cautionary tale: even a well-made, popular film can struggle if market conditions and pricing aren’t carefully considered.