Kantara Chapter 1 beats Coolie and Lokah to win Best South film

The prequel to the hit 2022 film, Kantara, titled Kantara: A Legend - Chapter 1, hit the silver screens on October 2, 2025, on the occasion of Dusshera. Rishab Shetty's action thriller opened strong by collecting Rs 61.85 crore on its first day and later went on to become one of the blockbusters movies of 2025. 

India TV hosted a poll on Wednesday, December 24, asking readers to vote for the Best South



film of 2025, and the audience has now made their pick.

Rishab Shetty's directorial Kantara: A Legend - Chapter 1 surpassed films like Rajinikanth's Coolie, Kalyani Priyadarshan's Lokah Chapter One: Chandra, Mohanlal films L2: Empuraan and Thudarum to secure the highest number of votes for Best South Film. The movie's folklore theme, gripping storyline, and stellar performances by the cast contributed to its win.