Rishab Shetty's Kantara: Chapter 1, released on October 2, 2025, has received mixed reactions from the general public.
Although the prequel has grossed over ₹100 crore worldwide in its first two days, many viewers feel it doesn’t match the impact of the original 2022 film.
Even so, some filmmakers like Ram Gopal Varma and Sandeep Reddy Vanga have hailed it as a masterpiece.
In the Telugu states, the response has been average, though the collections remain solid.
However, one aspect has drawn unanimous appreciation: Rukmini Vasanth. Especially among the youth, her beauty and performance in the key episodes have become a major talking point.
Rukmini first impressed audiences with her charm in the two-part Kannada film Side A Side B, which helped her land big projects like Kantara: Chapter 1 and Yash’s Toxic.
But her other films, such as Nikhil Siddhartha’s Appudo Ippudo Eppudo, Bagheera, and Madhraasi, either flopped or underperformed.
As a result, many in the industry were waiting to see how Kantara: Chapter 1 would shape her career and whether she could stay competitive.
With this film, she has clearly proven her versatility, and her screen presence has struck a chord with young audiences.
Rukmini Vasanth is also reportedly playing the female lead opposite NTR in Prashanth Neel’s Dragon.
