The Kannada star climbs to the #1 spot, outranking industry heavyweights like Jr NTR and SS Rajamouli, as his film continues its dream run at the global box office.
Kannada actor and director Rishab Shetty is enjoying monumental success with his latest cinematic outing, Kantara Chapter 1. The film’s continued “rampage” at the box office has translated into a major personal achievement for Shetty, as he has secured the top position on IMDb’s weekly list of Popular Indian Celebrities.
The IMDb Popular Indian Celebrities list, which is determined by fan preferences and search popularity, saw Rishab Shetty leap from the third position last week to the number one spot. In doing so, he has outranked major stars, including Jr NTR and filmmaker SS Rajamouli, along with his close friend Rakshit Shetty.
Following closely behind him on the list is Kantara Chapter 1‘s leading lady, Rukmini Vasanth.
Other Stars on the Popularity List
The weekly list features a mix of high-profile names across various film industries. Other celebrities making their mark this week include:
- Mona Singh (6th position)
- Hrithik Roshan (11th position)
- Shraddha Das (15th position)
- Janhvi Kapoor (23rd position)
- Kiara Advani (25th position)
- Konkona Sen Sharma (44th position)
Kantara Chapter 1: A Box Office Juggernaut
The massive popularity driving Rishab Shetty’s rise is directly linked to the overwhelming success of Kantara Chapter 1. The film opened to positive reviews from both critics and audiences, quickly establishing itself as a commercial phenomenon.
Key box office milestones include:
- A bumper opening with ₹61.85 crore collected on day one.
- Crossing the ₹100 crore mark worldwide on only its second day.
- After a successful two-week run, the film has grossed ₹657 crore worldwide and ₹465.9 crore in India (net).
The film has also received widespread appreciation from numerous celebrities, including Ram Gopal Varma, Mahesh Babu, and KL Rahul, who have praised it as a masterpiece.
About Kantara Chapter 1
Kantara Chapter 1 is a prequel to the highly successful 2022 film Kantara. The film, which was both written and directed by Rishab Shetty and produced by Hombale Films, stars Rishab Shetty alongside Rukmini Vasanth, Gulshan Devaiah, and Jayaram Ravi in key roles.
It has earned unanimous praise for its compelling storyline, powerful cast performances, and spectacular VFX. The prequel delves deeper into the origins of the tradition and ancestral conflict introduced in the first movie, exploring the ancient roots of the Bhoota Kola ritual.