Kantara: Chapter 1: Rishab Shetty Turns Down Huge Salary To Opt For This Deal Instead? Here’s What We Know

Rishab Shetty reportedly turned down a huge salary for Kantara: Chapter 1, choosing a surprising deal instead. Here’s everything we know so far.

- September 27, 2025 | 1:11 PM IST

Rishab Shetty’s Salary For Kantara: Chapter 1 ( Photo Credit – YouTube )

Back in 2022, something remarkable unfolded in Indian cinema. A Kannada film, Kantara, unexpectedly grew into a nationwide phenomenon. Co-written, directed, and headlined by Rishab Shetty, the film not only elevated his stature but also cemented his place as a true Pan-Indian star. Naturally, a project of that impact called for a continuation, and in 2025, Kantara: Chapter 1 is set to arrive on the big screen, scheduled for release on October 2.

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The first installment, made on a modest budget of around 16 crores, went on to collect over 400 crores worldwide, making it one of the biggest success stories in recent times. Now, the sequel Kantara: Chapter 1 is raising the stakes with an estimated budget of 125 crores. While some big-ticket films allocate the majority of their funds towards star remuneration, the question remains: will Kantara: Chapter 1 follow that trend, or will its scale reflect something more ambitious?

How Much Did Rishab Shetty Get Paid for Kantara: Chapter 1?

Well, before we get into his remuneration, let’s first look at what is typical for a big-budget South Indian film. Let’s compare Kantara with Coolie, even though both are from different film industries. Coolie, from Tamil cinema, was also a big-budget venture. According to Deccan Herald, it was made on a budget of Rs 350 crore. Rajinikanth’s original remuneration for the film was Rs 150 crore, while director Lokesh Kanagaraj received Rs 50 crore. Furthermore, Rajinikanth even received performance-based incentives; for example, an additional 50 crore was paid to him due to the film’s strong performance in pre-release sales.

This is not the case for just one film; several big-budget films follow this model. However, there are exceptions. For instance, in Malayalam cinema, in L2 Empuraan, actor-director Prithviraj Sukumaran and actor Mohanlal opted out of remuneration, as per Times of India. Keep in mind that Mohanlal has a stake in one of the production houses associated with the project, Aashirvad Cinemas.

Coming to Rishab Shetty’s remuneration, according to a report from 123Telugu, he has not received any payment so far. He has opted for profit sharing instead of direct remuneration before the release. This means he also assumes a significant financial risk if the project does not perform well. Furthermore, the report states that he has invested his own money into the project.

Kantara: Chapter 1 is reportedly a prequel to the 2022 blockbuster and is touted as the biggest cinematic event of this year. Rishab Shetty’s highly anticipated film opens in cinemas on October 2, 2025. The credited producers of the film are Vijay Kiragandur and Chaluve Gowda, under their production house Hombale Films. The film’s ambitious scale is reflected in its release across multiple languages, including Kannada, Telugu, Tamil, Malayalam, Bengali, Hindi, and English.