Kantara: A Legend Chapter 1: Near-death experiences, sleep nights… Rishab Shetty on his largest movie but

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 in regards to the challenge, preserving their three-year journey of filming the prequel an enormous secret.

“As I reached the town, it felt just like the instances after I first arrived in Bengaluru greater than a decade in the past,” Rishab instructed reporters. The actor-director was hinting on the strangeness of being again in a bustling metropolis after immersing himself for 3 years on the planet of Kantara in Kundapura, a coastal city of Karnataka identified for its connection to the magnificent Western Ghats.

For Rishab, the following week will probably be a brand new expertise. The five-film-old director had by no means carried the load 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 turn out 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’m relieved,” confessed Rishab about wrapping up his largest challenge but. The scale of the movie has left him exhausted as properly.

“I’m drained and discovering it tough to assemble phrases to explain this journey. Usually, I’m composed and mentally sturdy,” stated the visibly fatigued actor-director, who lately wrapped up the hectic post-production of the film. As he responded to a collection of questions from the press, Rishab slowly regained his traditional calm and humorous self. “I’m any person who doesn’t burden myself by worrying about my film’s end result. I’m curious to see how folks will reply to my movie. That’s my way of thinking after each challenge.”

Rishab ensured he didn’t reveal a lot in regards to the film’s plot. He typically talked about the large duty of releasing the movie on October 2 as promised to his producer Vijay Kiragandur. “In latest instances, we labored for 30-40 hours at a stretch. We slept for perhaps only one or two hours a day. I thank my route, writing, and DOP groups,” he stated.

In the trailer, Rishab is seen as a fierce warrior who rises towards a brutal king to avoid wasting his village trapped underneath 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 placing options within the trailer. “No hero from the Kannada movie trade has carried out such dangerous stunts,” stated the movie’s motion choreographer Arjun Raj. “After making an attempt a harmful sequence, I might request him for one more shot as I wouldn’t be absolutely happy. Any different hero aside from Rishab sir would have refused to strive once more. He was at all times 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 dying occurred through the making of the film, it felt as if the movie was cursed with unhealthy luck. “What occurred was extraordinarily unlucky. In truth, I confronted 4 near-death conditions through the shoot,” recollected Rishab, expressing his gratitude to the daiva for serving to him full this formidable film. “We owe it to the divine spirit for serving to us sail by powerful instances.”

ALSO READ: ‘Kantara: A Legend Chapter 1’ trailer: Rishabh Shetty leads beautiful prequel epic

Rishab additionally had phrases of appreciation for cinematographer Arvind Kashyap, whose beautiful work is among the largest positives of the trailer for the prequel. “I featured in a small function 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), the place I performed the lead. Our friendship goes a great distance, and he is a great technician who elevates my concepts.”

For Rishab, it began with a cellphone name in 2020, throughout which he instructed 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’re simply ready to indicate our film to our folks on October 2. We received’t speak extra about it — it’s for them to see and provides the decision,” stated Rishab, who’s seeking to crack the hardest problem of his profession but.