With 2025 approaching, excitement over a number of high-budget movies is building up, with film fans and industry watchers keenly debating which movie will be the first to join the highly sought-after ₹1000 crore club. Bollywood, Tollywood, and Kollywood fans initially hoped at least one movie from each industry would reach this monumental milestone by the end of the year. Still, with eight months gone by in the year, none of the big releases have yet to reach this milestone.
Bollywood’s Chhaava, though a box office hit, could not breach the ₹1000 crore mark. Likewise, movies like War 2 and Coolie were bound to mint humongous amounts due to the star casts and the hype surrounding them. Sadly, none of the two managed to justify the hype, coming up short.
With just a few months of the year left, the attention now is on what new releases there will be that may turn the tables. There is much speculation on which film will break the barrier and cross the ₹1000 crore mark. The current frontrunner is Kantara Chapter 1, an era drama with the emerging star of Kannada cinema, Rishab Shetty. The movie is already creating a wave of anticipation, with increasing expectation of its chances to be the first movie of 2025 to breach ₹1000 crore.
While The Raja Saab with Prabhas also has humongous expectations, possible delay in its release can shift the focus solely towards Kantara. With the colossal success of the KGF franchise, the Kannada movie industry is experiencing a massive boost in international recognition, and the hype that surrounds Kantara Chapter 1 only contributes to this increasing momentum. Releasing on October 2nd, Kantara has all the makings of being the first ₹1000 crore film of the year, if it lives up to the high standards set by its hype.
With the final push of 2025 ahead of us, eyes are on Kantara Chapter 1, and its success would greatly change the direction for big-budget movies in Indian cinema.
