NEW DELHI: Actor-director Rishab Shetty's "Kantara: Chapter 1" has taken the box office by storm, grossing Rs 427.5 crore worldwide within six days of release, the makers said in a statement.

The movie is a prequel to Shetty's 2022 blockbuster “Kantara”, which became a cultural phenomenon for its rooted storytelling, exploration of folklore and divine traditions of coastal Karnataka, and went on to become one of the highest-grossing Kannada films of all time.

Released on October 2 in Kannada, Hindi, Telugu, Malayalam, Tamil, Bengali, and English, the movie is produced by Hombale Films.

In a statement, the makers said the film is on track to reach Rs 500 crore in its opening week.

"In just six days, 'Kantara: Chapter 1' has collected a staggering Rs 427.5 crore worldwide, emerging as a global phenomenon. With such an extraordinary pace, the film is expected to touch the Rs 500 crore mark within a week and is steadily inching closer to the historic Rs 1000 crore milestone.

"The strong word-of-mouth, glowing reviews, and massive buzz across social media are all working in the film's favour," the makers said.

Set in pre-colonial Karnataka during the reign of the Kadambas from Banavasi, “Kantara: Chapter 1” depicts the conflict between the tribals of the Kantara forest and a tyrannical king.

Shetty, who directed, wrote and headlined the prequel, had earlier won the National Film Award for Best Actor as well as Best Popular Film Providing Wholesome Entertainment for “Kantara”.