Rishab Shetty Reveals He ‘Almost Died 4-5 Times’ While Shooting Kantara: Chapter 1

The trailer of Kantara: Chapter 1, the much-awaited prequel to Rishab Shetty’s 2022 blockbuster Kantara, has created a massive buzz. Packed with high-octane action sequences, the journey of making the film was nothing short of life-threatening. The actor-director has now revealed what all went behind bringing the story to his life and even shared that he “almost died four to five times” while shooting.

Speaking at the trailer launch event in Bengaluru, Rishab Shetty, who not only stars in the film but also co-wrote it, made the shocking revelation. He said the shoot of Kantara: Chapter 1 was so challenging that he came close to death multiple times.

‘I Was About To Die 4 Or 5 Times’: Rishab Shetty

Rishab reportedly shared, “We haven’t slept properly

for 3 months because of continuous work. Everyone, including the direction team and the producers, supported it as like their own film. Everyone who worked on the set owned the film and only because of that, we are here today. There have been many accidents on the sets that the media reported. In fact, if I count, I was about to die 4 or 5 times during the shoot, the divinity we trust saved me and gave blessings to all of us.”

Tragedies During Production

The making of Kantara: Chapter 1 has been far from smooth. The film’s production has seen tragic losses. Mimicry artist and actor Kalabhavan Niju, aged 43, died in June in Bengaluru. Associated with the film through auditions, he was one of the most important team members of the film. Earlier, actor Rakesh Pujari, who appeared in the first installment of Kantara, died of a cardiac arrest at just 33. In another heartbreaking incident, junior artiste MF Kapil drowned in the Souparnika river in Udupi district. However, the makers clarified that the incident occurred during his personal time and not on the set.

Produced by Hombale Films, Kantara: Chapter 1 explores the ancient origins of the Bhoota Kola tradition. The screenplay has been co-written by Rishab Shetty, Anirudh Mahesh and Shanil Guru. And the cast? It includes Rukmini Vasanth, Jayaram and Gulshan Deviah, among others.

The film, set to release on October 2 during the Gandhi Jayanti and Dussehra holidays, has fans eagerly waiting to witness the mystical folklore-driven story.