Dhanush Idly Kadai sales dips as Kantara Roars

Dhanush for second time is facing opposition from a strong rival= Rishab Shetty Kantara Chapter 1. A centres mainly multiplexes in Tamil Nadu are seen more screens being added to Kantara and Idly Kadai dropping. Single screens are holding out. In two Telufu States, Idly Kadai ( Kottu) is buried under Knatara rampagge Read on. Kantara Chapter 1 has opened to a strong response, and this is affecting the run of Dhanush’s Idli Kadai. Rishab Shetty returned with the prequel to his blockbuster Kantara, and the film released in theatres today. Viewers who watched Kantara Chapter 1 are giving positive feedback. This is driving a surge in ticket bookings across India, making it one of the most talked-about releases this weekend. Meanwhile, Dhanush’s Idli Kadai, which released yesterday, is facing mixed reviews. The overwhelming reception for Kantara is pulling audiences away from Idli Kadai in several centres, including Tamil Nadu. Before the releases, trade trackers expected Idli Kadai to enjoy a smooth run during the long weekend. It was seen as a family drama with strong local appeal, especially in Tamil Nadu. But the trend is now shifting. Even though Idli Kadai secured a large screen count through Red Giant distribution, the buzz around Kantara suggests it could replace Idli Kadai in A centres after the first weekend. This shift has sparked discussion online. Many recall that Dhanush’s earlier directorial Nilavuku En Mel Ennadi Kobam (NEEK) struggled when Pradeep Ranganathan’s Dragon clashed with it. Now, history seems to be repeating with Kantara overshadowing Idli Kadai. Some Kollywood trackers argue otherwise. They feel Idli Kadai will still perform well in B and C centres, where its family drama theme connects strongly. According to them, only its A centre collections will feel the heat from Kantara. The coming days will reveal the real outcome. For now, Kantara Chapter 1 is enjoying strong momentum, while Idli Kadai is trying to hold its ground in Tamil Nadu’s box office battle. Franchise films like Baahubali 2, KGF 2, LCU film Leo, and Mohanlal’s Empuraan did very well at the Kerala box office, but Allu Arjun’s Pushpa 2 failed to meet expectations and became a big failure. Apart from Allu Arjun’s highly anticipated sequel, all the films listed above debuted with record-breaking numbers and achieved massive success over time in Kerala. Now Kantara Chapter 1 has also exceeded trade’s expectations, and despite not having much pre-release jump and multiple films running in theaters, it still sees a 6 Cr opening, which is one of the biggest openings in Kerala.

Kantara 1 Trailor Highest Viewership in North India / Double Win for Mohanlal

 North Indian audience are the most eager to view Kantara Chapter 1 ; Read on - The makers officially announced that the trailer quickly garnered over 55 million views. Surprisingly, it’s not the Kannada or Telugu audiences who are most excited , it’s North Indian viewers. The Hindi trailer has already crossed 16 million views, more than twice the Kannada version and three times the Telugu version at the time of writing.

This unexpected response is phenomenal. With North Indian audiences showing such excitement, the makers would be wise to push the film hard in the region, it could turn this prequel into a major box office hit.

Rukmini Vasanth stars as the heroine in this ambitious project from Hombale Films, alongside Jayaram, Gulshan Devaiah, and other key cast members. The film is also supported by Ajaneesh Loknath’s music. Sivakarthikeyan released the Tamil trailer of the film on his social media page and congratulated the film crew.
The trailer doesn't reveal much about the film, but it does have a certain mystery and intrigue. The story, which is a continuation of the previous film, surprises the audience.

The film’s core creative team includes:

Director & Writer – Rishab Shetty
Producer – Vijay Kiragandur (Hombale Films)
Director of Photography – Arvind S. Kashyap
Music Director – B. Ajaneesh Loknath

OG, Idli Kadai, and Kantara Chapter 1 are set to clash at the box office during 2025 Dasara. Pawan Kalyan’s OG received an ‘A’ rating, Dhanush’s Idli Kadai got a clean ‘U,’ and Rishab Shetty’s Kantara Chapter 1 was given a ‘U/A’ certification.

As Mohanlal steps to receive Dadasaheb Phalke Award, highest honour for an actor in India, he is also the only actor in earning 250 Cr in a single year,  He has joined Drishyam 3 the sequel to the hit franchise that are blockbusters. Read on:

In 2025, Mohanlal made a huge ₹250 crore at the Kerala Box Office, setting a record for any Malayalam actor. His hits include L2-Empuraan—₹86.25Cr, Thudarum—₹118.90Cr, Chotta Mumbai (re-release)—₹3.61 Cr, and Hridayapoorvam—₹41.32Cr. 

No actor has ever achieved this milestone in the Malayalam film industry. Mohanlal continues to set new benchmarks for Malayalam cinema.

Looking at the global figures, the actor’s films grossed over 550 crore at the box office, delivering major hits throughout the year. He is alco coming up with a big budget film, Vrusshabha this Diwali.

Vrushabha is presented by Connekkt Media and Balaji Telefilms in association with AVS Studios. The film is directed by Nanda Kishore and produced by Vishal Gurnani (AVS Studios), Juhi Parekh Mehta, Abhishek Vyas, and Shyam Sunder (First Step Movies), Ektaa R Kapoor and Shobha Kapoor (Balaji Telefilms), along with Varun Mathur and Saurabh Mishra (Connekkt Media). The film is being shot simultaneously in Telugu & Malayalam and it will release in Telugu, Malayalam, Hindi, Kannada and Tamil.

The India's highest award in cinema is given in the name of Dadasaheb Phalke because he is credited of making Raja Harishchandra that was the first feature film in India, and is thus called the father of Indian cinema. Dadasaheb Phalke Award was introduced in 1969 by the government to recognise the contribution of film personalities towards the development of Indian Cinema.

Kantara 2 hit by crew member death / Atlee - Allu Arjun to have Bollywood STAR

 Kantara 2 unit faced a third mishap with a unit hand from Kerala being swept away in the river. His body was later recovered by the police team. Though the film unit has yet to report this reports say that On May 6, a 33-year-old junior artiste, MF Kapil from Kerala, drowned in the Souparnika River near Kollur during a break in filming. The incident took place around 3:45 pm while the crew was on lunch. Kapil had gone for a swim but got caught in a strong current and was swept away. Rescue teams from the fire department and local authorities searched the area and recovered his body later that evening.

Kapil was from Moosarithara, Vaikom in Kerala. His body was sent to the Kundapura Government Hospital. A police case has been registered, and investigations are ongoing. The film’s production team has not yet released an official statement. This is not the first issue the production has faced. Last November, a minibus carrying 20 junior artistes overturned in Mudoor, Jadkal, leaving several injured. Earlier, a costly film set was damaged due to unexpected heavy rains and storms.

In January, the crew faced criticism and legal trouble after reportedly assaulting villagers who questioned their use of explosives in a forest area. The forest department also began investigating the team for disturbing the local habitat in Sakleshpur without proper clearance. People on social media believe that this most awaited sequel might be jinxed.

While the filming of Kantara 2 is still in progress, post-production work has already commenced!

The sequel is expected to be a grander spectacle than its predecessor, introducing prequel and mythological elements into the storyline.

The film's high-budget visual effects require significant time investment in VFX, which explains the planned Summer 2025 release date.

"The team is not compromising on post-production and visual effects at all," sources added.

Atlee is hunting for a Bollywood STAR for the Allu Arjun film . Yes, Atlee is back to the dual hero formula that he has in mind and got dropped as no hero was willing to come on board with Salman Khan. At that time Atlee wanted a South Star with Salman and the price that South biggies were asking was too heavy. In fact the risk factor of recovering the investment was very risky. Now it is Atlee or Sun Pictures who has the doubt on running on strength of Pushpa franchise is not known , but a Bollywood STAR is become inevitable.

One reason is that whether the Hindi audience will come in huge numbers to see Allu Arjun without the Pushpa tag ?. For something like Rs 500 cr running on salaries, the banking of Pushpa factor to bring in the initial crowds is seen risky. Mrunal Thakur and Jhanvi are on board. Now which Star is going to join ?. So will Salman come on board for this new project. Remember that Atlee’s storyline for Allu Arjun was not what he told to Salman .