'Sunny Sanskari Ki Tulsi Kumari' vs 'Kantara Chapter 1': Rishab Shetty’s film races ahead of Varun Dhawan’s rom-com in advance booking

Varun Dhawan's 'Sunny Sanskari Ki Tulsi Kumari' is gearing up for a box office clash this Dussehra with Rishab Shetty’s ‘Kantara: Chapter 1’. Both films are set to release on October 2, 2025.

About 'Sunny Sanskari Ki Tulsi Kumari'

SSKTK is a romantic comedy starring Varun Dhawan, Janhvi Kapoor, Sanya Malhotra, and Rohit Saraf. While audiences look forward to this light-hearted entertainer, the film faces stiff competition from the South.

About ‘Kantara: Chapter 1’

Rishab Shetty’s ‘Kantara: Chapter 1’, the highly anticipated prequel to the 2022 hit 'Kantara', has already generated massive buzz, especially with its Hindi dubbed version. Written and directed by Rishab Shetty, the prequel explores the mythological origins of the story told in 'Kantara'. Set ten centuries before the events of the first film, it features Shetty in a new role alongside Rukmini Vasanth, Jayaram, and Gulshan Devaiah. The original film had received immense success in its Hindi run, and the prequel seems set to continue that.

Advance bookings race

Advance bookings for 'Sunny Sanskari Ki Tulsi Kumari' opened on Sunday, four days before release. By Monday evening at 8 pm, the film had sold 8,164 tickets nationwide, according to trade sources. Sacnilk reported that the advance collection grossed Rs 39.16 lakh, and with block seats, the total rises to Rs 1.15 crore.

In comparison, ‘Kantara: Chapter 1’ is doing very well despite being a Kannada film. The Hindi version alone has sold 18,600 tickets, earning Rs 46.41 lakh. Across all languages, by Monday afternoon, the film had already sold 1,49,608 tickets and earned about Rs 5.22 crore, which rises to Rs 8.83 crore including block seats.

At this stage, Rishab Shetty’s ‘Kantara: Chapter 1’ is clearly ahead of 'Sunny Sanskari Ki Tulsi Kumari' in advance bookings.

Varun Dhawan reacted to this box office clash

Varun Dhawan reacted to the box office buzz. He told India Today, "Kantara is a very big film. The first film was amazing; I loved it myself. But our film is very different from that and there’s a space for all kinds of films.

He further added, "Our trailer has got a good response from the people; we wish to entertain everyone through our film. People anyways are stressed in life, about finances, etc, and this film will give them joy."

With both films releasing on the same day, October 2, audiences will have a choice between a fun romantic comedy and a thrilling South Indian prequel. Early ticket sales suggest that ‘Kantara: Chapter 1’ has a slight edge, but word-of-mouth and reviews could shape the final outcome.

DISCLAIMER: The box office numbers in this article are compiled from our proprietary sources and diverse public data. While we strive for accuracy, all figures are approximate unless explicitly mentioned, offering a fair representation of the project's box office performance. We are open to feedback and suggestions on toientertainment@timesinternet.in.