JOIN USLooking for pan-India scripts, says Yash
Yash’s fortunes changed overnight after the release of ‘KGF: Chapter 1’ in 2018. He had delivered a Kannada blockbuster for a pan-India market. His earlier films ‘Mr and Mrs Ramachari’, ‘Kirataka’, ‘Googly’ and ‘Rajahuli’ had also done well at the box office and turned him into a youth icon.
Currently shooting for ‘KGF: Chapter 2’, Yash tells Showtime he loves the larger-than-life appeal of cinema.
Tell us how has KGF changed your life.
Earlier, I was known only in Karnataka and people from other states knew me only through some dubbed films. After KGF, people across the country treat me like I am one among them. I get the same respect and love wherever I go. I am grateful for that.
KGF brought a new energy into the Kannada film industry...
Our intention was to upscale the game. People used to describe Kannada as a small industry and I used to feel bad about it. When you are in your prime and people have given you the power to bring about change, you should go ahead and do what you can. The KGF team had that opportunity to bring about change and we pulled it off. The Kannada industry is now being treated on par with others.
Did the way you choose scripts change after KGF?
One should go with the flow. Change can be cultural or political. You have to be able to predict the minds of people and accordingly make a choice. Cinema is a reflection of your life. I look at scripts from a pan-India point of view now.
The first look of KGF 2 has been released. Your comments…
I look more groomed and tamed. I looked like a beast in Chapter 1. The wildness of the character still remains but it looks more polished in the second chapter. We are shooting on a big scale. Chapter 1 may appear small in comparison, but it is not so. The canvases are different.
Any Bollywood offers coming your way?
I am not interested in Bollywood. I am happy with Kannada. KGF brought us a wider reach and pan-Indian appeal. It doesn’t matter which industry you make a film in, it must be treated as an Indian film. I would like to make films that cut across barriers of region and language.
What’s your stand on films being dubbed into Kannada?
Things are changing fast and we will go nowhere if we don’t read the signs and move. Dubbing is inevitable and if done well, it will help the language. Dubbing is a reality and it is here to stay. We have to accept it and move on.
Kannada was known for arthouse cinema in the 1970s and 80s. Will we see you make that kind of cinema?
I don’t believe stories can be told only by making meaningful cinema. Cinema is about storytelling and entertaining people. I prefer to work on projects that have a larger-than-life appeal. Cinema has given me confidence and inspired me to dream beyond my capabilities. That, to me, is cinema and I don’t want to take away that charm.
How has your life changed after you became a father?
I was always told that I would never understand the feelings of a father till I became one. Today those words make sense. It’s a special feeling that can’t be expressed.
Do you owe your simplicity to your humble beginnings?
Humble beginnings keep one rooted. You needn’t show off about being powerful and successful. If you work hard, you will be noticed for your performance. I have always kept my personal and professional lives separate. On screen, I am ruthless and when there is competition, I go full on. Yash the actor and Yash the person are different.