Rishab Shetty exuded nervous vitality as he arrived for the first-ever interplay with the media about Kantara: A Legend Chapter 1 in Bengaluru on September 22, 2025 (Monday). The forged and crew of the extremely anticipated sequel have been tight-lipped concerning the mission, holding their three-year journey of filming the prequel a giant secret.
“As I reached the city, it felt like the times when I first arrived in Bengaluru more than a decade ago,” Rishab advised reporters. The actor-director was hinting on the strangeness of being again in a bustling metropolis after immersing himself for 3 years on the earth of Kantara in Kundapura, a coastal city of Karnataka recognized for its connection to the magnificent Western Ghats.
For Rishab, the subsequent week might be a brand new expertise. The five-film-old director had by no means carried the burden of his earlier movie’s success till Kantara in 2022. The movie, previous to its launch, was seen as a promising Kannada film for a creativity-starved Kannada viewers. However, the movie rode on impeccable word-of-mouth publicity to grow to be a pan-Indian blockbuster.
Now, the expectations from the prequel are sky-high, not simply from Rishab’s fortress Sandalwood however from the Indian movie fraternity. “I am relieved,” confessed Rishab about wrapping up his biggest mission but. The scale of the movie has left him exhausted as properly.
“I am tired and finding it difficult to gather words to describe this journey. Usually, I am composed and mentally strong,” stated the visibly fatigued actor-director, who not too long ago wrapped up the hectic post-production of the film. As he responded to a collection of questions from the press, Rishab slowly regained his typical calm and humorous self. “I am somebody who doesn’t burden myself by worrying about my movie’s result. I am curious to see how people will respond to my film. That’s my state of mind after every project.”
Rishab Shetty and Rukmini Vasanth within the film.
| Photo Credit:
Hombale Films/YouTube
Rishab ensured he didn’t reveal a lot concerning the film’s plot. He usually talked about the large duty of releasing the movie on October 2 as promised to his producer Vijay Kiragandur. “In recent times, we worked for 30-40 hours at a stretch. We slept for maybe just one or two hours a day. I thank my direction, writing, and DOP teams,” he stated.
In the trailer, Rishab is seen as a fierce warrior who rises in opposition to a brutal king to save lots of his village trapped below tyranny. Kantara: A Legend Chapter 1is prone to delve into the deeper origins of the mythological custom and ancestral battle depicted in Kantara, the 2022 sensational blockbuster. The first half explored the Bhoota Kola conventional type of worship practised within the coastal Karnataka area. The man-nature battle was one other theme handled within the film.
Rishab’s intense motion sequences are one of many putting options within the trailer. “No hero from the Kannada film industry has done such risky stunts,” stated the movie’s motion choreographer Arjun Raj. “After trying a dangerous sequence, I would request him for another shot as I wouldn’t be fully satisfied. Any other hero apart from Rishab sir would have refused to try again. He was always up for improvisation,” he added.
The film was within the information for the incorrect causes as three folks from the movie’s crew handed away in 2024. While no loss of life occurred through the making of the film, it felt as if the movie was cursed with dangerous luck. “What happened was extremely unfortunate. In fact, I faced four near-death situations during the shoot,” recollected Rishab, expressing his gratitude to the daiva for serving to him full this bold film. “We owe it to the divine spirit for helping us sail through tough times.”
ALSO READ: ‘Kantara: A Legend Chapter 1’ trailer: Rishabh Shetty leads gorgeous prequel epic
Rishab additionally had phrases of appreciation for cinematographer Arvind Kashyap, whose gorgeous work is among the biggest positives of the trailer for the prequel. “I featured in a small role in Lucia (2013), for which Arvind was an assistant director. He was a drone operator for my directorial debut, Ricky (2016). He was the cinematographer for Bell Bottom (2019), where I played the lead. Our friendship goes a long way, and he is a smart technician who elevates my ideas.”
For Rishab, it began with a telephone name in 2020, throughout which he advised the one-liner of Kantara to producer Vijay Kiragandur. Looking again, Rishab is grateful for working with a producer who gave him free rein to create a well-liked franchise. “Now, we are just waiting to show our movie to our people on October 2. We won’t talk more about it — it’s for them to see and give the verdict,” stated Rishab, who’s trying to crack the hardest problem of his profession but.
