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New Delhi: As Rishab Shetty’s Kantara: Chapter 1 continues to receive rave reviews and dominate the box office, the audience has not only praised Shetty’s direction and writing but is also showering love on actor Rukmini Vasanth, who plays the role of Kanakavathi in the film.
Who Is Rukmini Vasanth?
Rukmini Vasanth has worked across Kannada, Tamil, and Telugu cinema. She made her acting debut in 2019 with Birbal. Her breakthrough performance came with the 2023 two-part romantic drama Sapta Saagaradaache Ello, for which she won the Filmfare Critics Award for Best Actress – Kannada. In 2025, she appeared in Ace, Madharaasi, and now Kantara: Chapter 1.
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According to Wikipedia, Rukmini was born into a Tamil family in Bengaluru. Her father, Colonel Vasanth Venugopal, was Karnataka’s first recipient of India’s highest peacetime military honour, the Ashoka Chakra. He was martyred in 2007 while preventing heavily armed infiltrators from crossing the India-Pakistan border at Uri, Jammu and Kashmir.
Her mother, Subhashini Vasanth, is an acclaimed Bharatanatyam dancer who established a foundation to support war widows in Karnataka.
Rukmini completed her schooling at Army School, Air Force School, and Centre for Learning in Bengaluru. She later earned an acting degree from the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA) in London.
Rukmini is being widely appreciated for her portrayal of Kanakavathi, with many calling her scenes “show-stealers.”
Box Office Performance
Kantara: Chapter 1 opened to a thunderous response, earning Rs 61.85 crore on its first day, despite competition from Janhvi Kapoor’s Sunny Sanskari Ki Tulsi Kumari, which collected Rs 10.11 crore on the same day.
The film crossed the Rs 100 crore mark in just two days, amassing Rs 106.85 crore, including an impressive Rs 45 crore on its second day, according to Sacnilk reports.
About the Film and Its Prequel
Written and directed by Rishab Shetty, the original Kantara (2022) was a sleeper hit, earning over Rs 400 crore worldwide on a modest budget of Rs 15 crore. Kantara: Chapter 1 serves as a prequel, set a thousand years before the events of the first film.
The film stars Rishab Shetty in the lead role, alongside Rukmini Vasanth, Jayaram, and Gulshan Devaiah. The creative team includes music director B. Ajaneesh Loknath, cinematographer Arvind Kashyap, and production designer Vinesh Banglan, each contributing to the film’s rich visual and emotional depth.
The story revisits the mythical land of Kantara, exploring the conflict between the Kantara tribe and the Bangara kingdom. Vijayendra, the king of Bangara, passes his throne to his son Kulasekhara, while his daughter Kanakavathi oversees the kingdom’s treasury. Meanwhile, Berme, the determined leader of the Kantara tribe, strives to uplift his people.
Released on October 2 in Kannada, Hindi, Telugu, Malayalam, Tamil, Bengali, and English, the film is captivating audiences across languages while staying deeply rooted in its cultural essence.
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