Kantara: Chapter 1 grossed an estimated Rs. 69-70 crore approx on its first day in India, including Rs. 4.50 crore previews. Depending on where the final figures land, the Rishab Shetty starrer will rank either 16th or 18th on the list of highest first-day grossers in India. It also becomes only the second Sandalwood film to make it into the top 20 openers, following KGF Chapter 2.
Interestingly, if we consider just the pure first-day collections, i.e. excluding previews, the ranking for the film will actually improve. Two films, They Call Him OG and Stree 2, currently ranked higher, had bigger previews. Without those counted, these two films will slip under, and Kantara will move into the top fifteen openers.
Traditionally, the previews have been reported separately from the first day in India, but recently, Telugu films have started having previews on much larger scales, which are rolled into the first day. Now, if you add for one, you have to add for others, and that’s where things stand today. In future, for making things fairer, it may likely be decided to exclude previews from opening day, at least for the national record keeping.
The Top Twenty Highest First Day Grossers in India are as follows:
| Rank | Title | Year | Gross |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pushpa: The Rule | 2024 | Rs. 191.00 cr. |
| 2 | Baahubali: The Conclusion | 2017 | Rs. 133.00 cr. |
| 3 | RRR | 2022 | Rs. 131.00 cr. |
| 4 | KGF Chapter 2 | 2022 | Rs. 127.50 cr. |
| 5 | Kalki 2898 AD | 2024 | Rs. 100.00 cr. |
| 6 | Salaar | 2023 | Rs. 94.00 cr. |
| 7 | Jawan | 2023 | Rs. 90.00 cr. |
| 8 | They Call Him OG | 2025 | Rs. 88.50 cr. |
| 9 | Devara | 2023 | Rs. 87.50 cr. |
| 10 | Saaho | 2019 | Rs. 86.50 cr. |
| 11 | Adipurush | 2023 | Rs. 84.50 cr. |
| 12 | Leo | 2023 | Rs. 77.00 cr. |
| 13 | Coolie | 2025 | Rs. 75.25 cr. |
| 14 | Stree 2 | 2024 | Rs. 74.50 cr. |
| 15 | Animal | 2023 | Rs. 72.00 cr. |
| 16 | 2.0 | 2018 | Rs. 70.00 cr. |
| 17 | Pathaan | 2023 | Rs. 69.50 cr. |
| 18 | Kantara: Chapter 1 | 2025 | Rs. 69.50 cr. |
| 19 | Avengers: Endgame | 2019 | Rs. 65.00 cr. |
| 20 | Thugs of Hindostan | 2018 | Rs. 63.00 cr. |
ALSO READ: Kantara Chapter 1 Box Office Collections: Rishab Shetty starrer Scores 70cr Opening Day in India