JOIN OUR WHATSAPP CHANNEL
Kantara Chapter 1: Rishab Shetty’s film likely to face ban in Kerala over profit share dispute with Prithviraj Productions
Kantara: Chapter 1 is a sequel to Kantara (2022), starring and directed by Rishab Shetty himself.
Kantara: Chapter 1 is slated to release in theaters on October 2, 2025. Directed by Rishab Shetty, the mythological action drama is being distributed in Kerala by Prithviraj Sukumaran’s Prithviraj Productions. However, it appears that the film is set to face a ban in the state.
Is Kantara: Chapter 1 banned in Kerala?
According to a report by OnManorama, Film Exhibitors Union of Kerala (FEUOK) president K. Vijayakumar revealed that Prithviraj Productions has demanded a 55% profit-share from theaters for the film during its first two weeks. However, the organization is opposing these terms, which has led to a ban.
Speaking with media personnel, Vijayakumar said, “As per our existing terms, other language films being distributed in Kerala can only demand 50% profit from the film collections on the first few days. But Prithviraj Productions has demanded 55%, and that too for a span of two weeks. We allowed 55% profits to distributors in special cases during the COVID pandemic phase. However, we won't allow such demands in the current scenario.”
Additionally, the FEOUK president emphasized that Malayalam film producers typically only receive 30-40% of the share when Malayalam movies are distributed outside Kerala.
Vijayakumar explained, “Thudarum was a huge hit in Kerala, but when the film was distributed outside the state, the producer M Ranjith faced huge losses. Big production houses demand huge profit share for screening other language releases in Kerala, but they have no issue settling for a 30 to 40 per cent of the revenue share from theatres when films are distributed outside the state.”
Reportedly, the ban is already in effect, and Prithviraj Productions has yet to respond to the association to resolve the issue.
About Kantara: Chapter 1
Kantara: Chapter 1 will reportedly revolve around lost ancient traditions from the Tulu region in Karnataka. The film will delve deeper into the lore of Panjurli Daiva and Guliga Daiva deities, building a thematic connection to the first installment.
Set in pre-colonial coastal Karnataka, the film is said to explore a man’s interwoven experiences of nature and divinity during the rule of the Kadambas of Banavasi. This backstory was initially teased as the root of the ancestral conflict in Kantara (2022).
Apart from Rishab Shetty, Rukmini Vasanth and Gulshan Devaiah are confirmed to play co-leads, with Malayalam actor Jayaram also expected to play a key role.
ALSO READ: EXCLUSIVE: Varun Tej and Lavanya Tripathi blessed with baby boy
Latest Articles
