Kantara Chapter 1: Rishab Shetty sees success from driver to actor, director

Dubai: Rishab Shetty’s rise reads like the script of an underdog epic — but it’s all genuine. The Kantara star, who once drove a producer’s car in Mumbai, is now riding high on the resounding success of his latest directorial venture, Kantara: Chapter 1.

Released on October 2, 2025, across multiple languages, Kantara: Chapter 1 is a mythological-action prequel that delves deeper into the ancestral and spiritual lore introduced in the original Kantara (2022). The film has shattered box-office records, collecting more than ₹335 crore (approximately $39 million) so far worldwide, and is steadily inching toward the ₹ 1,000 crore (roughly $120 million) global benchmark.

It has already surpassed hits such as KGF and Lokah, emerging as 2025’s highest-grossing Kannada film with robust performance in Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, and international markets.

Shetty, who wrote, directed, and starred in the film, has expressed heartfelt gratitude for the audience’s response, saying he feels “forever indebted” to viewers who embraced the story’s rootedness. Critics have lauded his ability to merge folklore, faith, and raw human emotion into a visually arresting narrative. The prequel provides him with creative space to expand the cinematic universe he initiated with Kantara — the 2022 cultural phenomenon that earned him the National Award for Best Actor and garnered global acclaim for his portrayal of the bond between man, nature, and divinity.

But Shetty’s journey to stardom has been anything but easy. Before lights, cameras, and applause, he worked as a driver and office assistant for a film producer in Mumbai, dreaming of one day standing behind the camera. Between long hours on the road, he would munch on vada pav and study cinema in his spare moments. His persistence eventually earned him minor roles in films such as Lucia and Tuglak, before he turned to directing with Kirik Party — a 2016 hit that showcased his storytelling flair.

From those humble beginnings to becoming one of India’s most celebrated actor-directors, Rishab Shetty’s story embodies perseverance, passion, and faith in one’s craft. His journey from the driver’s seat to the director’s chair is proof that in Indian cinema — as in life — grit often writes the most excellent scripts.