'Kantara: Chapter 1': Team addresses misleading fan-made poster and lifestyle demands

Chennai: Actor and director Rishab Shetty has clarified that the team behind 'Kantara: Chapter 1' has no connection to a fake poster circulating on social media, adding that he was “shocked” when he first saw it.

The fabricated poster, titled 'Kantara Sankalpa', urged audiences to take a pledge before watching the film on October 2 by abstaining from alcohol, smoking and non-vegetarian food. It even asked viewers to fill out a Google form to receive a certificate of participation.

At a press conference, Shetty dismissed the claims outright. “The production house has no connection whatsoever with this poster. When I saw the poster, I myself was shocked. Nobody has the right to question another person’s food or lifestyle choices. These are individual decisions,” he said, noting that he had immediately checked with the production house to confirm its authenticity.

Meanwhile, on Monday, the much-anticipated trailer of 'Kantara: Chapter 1' was released, sparking renewed excitement following the massive success of the original Kantara in 2022. Though the trailer revealed little, it has added to the intrigue surrounding the film.

Produced by Hombale Films, 'Kantara: Chapter 1' is being billed as one of the studio’s most ambitious projects. The film’s core creative team includes music director B Ajaneesh Loknath, cinematographer Arvind Kashyap, and production designer Vinesh Banglan.

The makers have staged a large-scale war sequence involving more than 500 trained fighters and 3,000 extras, shot across a specially built town covering 25 acres of rugged terrain over 45 to 50 days, one of the biggest set pieces in Indian cinema to date.

Scheduled for worldwide release on October 2, the film will be launched in Kannada, Hindi, Telugu, Malayalam, Tamil, Bengali and English, aiming to reach diverse audiences while staying rooted in its cultural ethos.