Kantara: Chapter 1 to feature India’s most expensive action sequences, reveals stunt choreographer Arjun Raj

Rishab Shetty trained in Kalaripayattu, sword fighting, and horse riding to perform risky stunts without body doubles.

September 8, 2025 - 7:23 PM IST

Hombale Films’ upcoming epic Kantara: Chapter 1 is shaping up to be one of the most ambitious Indian films in recent memory. Ahead of its October 2 worldwide release, action–stunt choreographer Arjun Raj has revealed that the film will showcase some of the grandest and riskiest combat sequences ever attempted in Indian cinema.

Kantara: Chapter 1 to feature India’s most expensive action sequences, reveals stunt choreographer Arjun Raj

Arjun Raj, who designed four major action stretches in the film, recalled the moment he was brought on board. “I wasn’t part of the project in the beginning. This was a massive canvas, and honestly, I thought I might not enter that league. I was in Varanasi when I prayed to be part of something huge. A few days later, I got the call. Initially, they wanted me for just one sequence. Later, they handed me four. Call it destiny, call it divine blessing — it happened.” He worked alongside stunt duo Ram-Lakshman and Hollywood action director Todor Lazarov, who handled the large-scale war sequences.

The choreographer explained that the story’s historical setting demanded originality. “This story is set a thousand years ago. You can’t just copy-paste from existing action films. Every move had to feel organic to that time. For instance, we had a massive carriage sequence. It wasn’t just a prop; it was part of a high-speed chase involving Rishab and more than a thousand junior artists. That became the riskiest stunt I’ve ever designed.”

On the emotional intensity of the film’s later portions, Arjun revealed, “If the carriage fight was the riskiest, the war sequence was the most emotionally charged. The pre-climax battle is my personal favourite. It wasn’t just about swords clashing — it had emotion, loss, and triumph in every movement. The heartbeat of it all was Rishab’s performance. Every fight was elevated because of his energy.”

Highlighting the actor’s commitment, he said, “We didn’t use body doubles for Rishab. He performed bare-bodied, with a body language so distinct no dupe could replicate it. He trained in Kalaripayattu, sword fighting, and horse riding. Still, the risks he took was out of pure willpower. I’ve worked with many actors, but Rishab doesn’t stop at ‘I’ll try my best.’ He says, ‘I’ll do it till I am alive.’ That spirit changes everything.”

Arjun also revealed the scale and cost of the production. “Each major sequence had at least six days of prep. Every fight consumed a lot of investment, touching a crore per day. For example, we took 25 days to nail that carriage fight sequence, an additional six days for prep, and 15 days of rehearsals.” He added that Hollywood-style rigging techniques were adapted for the film, a rarity in Indian productions.

The film’s extensive war sequence reportedly involved 500 trained fighters and 3,000 additional people, shot across 25 rugged acres over 45–50 days. Kantara: Chapter 1 will release in Kannada, Hindi, Telugu, Malayalam, Tamil, Bengali, and English, promising large-scale storytelling rooted in folklore and history.

Also Read: Rishab Shetty performs his own stunts in Kantara: Chapter 1, reveals action director