The rise of Kannada star Yash, from B.V. Karanth's theatre group to 'KGF: Chapter 2'

Yash (Naveen Kumar Gowda) was born in a village in Hassan, Karnataka. (Image via Twitter/@TheNameIsYash)

He came. He saw. He conquered. That is literally the story of Kannada superstar Yash whose latest flick KGF: Chapter 2 has taken the global box office by storm. Produced by Hombale Films, this is the first Kannada film to enter the Rs 500 Crore Club and had the highest weekend opening amongst all Indian films. This is no small feat by any means.

From Mysuru to Sandalwood

Yash’s journey began in Buvanahalli village in Hassan district, Karnataka, where he was born Naveen Kumar Gowda. His life did have a similarity with Superstar Rajinikanth’s in that his father was a bus driver with the Karnataka roadways.

The Kannada actor studied in Mysuru (Mysore) and it was during this time that his love for acting developed. He says he always knew he wanted to become an actor - watching his idols on screen, he says, the applause they received from fans was something he yearned for.

With this as his ultimate goal, Yash got involved in theatre by joining the famous Benaka Drama Troupe run by B.V. Karanth. From theatre it was Kannada television that gave him his first TV appearance. He landed up in Bengaluru (Bangalore) with Rs 300 in his pocket and a heart full of desires.

Bagging roles in TV series like Nanda Gokula, Uttarayana and Silli Lalli led him to his first movie break, when director Shashank roped him in for his 2008 film Moggina Manasu. The rest, as we know, is history.

Yash: The self-made star

Senior Kannada film journalist G.S. Kumar says, “Yash, like many stars, began his acting career with roles in some of the popular Kannada serials but he gave a hint that he would rule the Sandalwood one day with his brilliant performance in the movie Moggina Manasu. The young boy Yash became a wonder boy for his looks, body language and ability to dance to any tune.”

Throughout his movie career, Yash was always very focused on his ultimate goal - to become a Kannada star. With his hard work and determination, the actor started to deliver hit after hit from 2010. The list of hits includes Modalasala, Rajadhani, Kirataka, Jaanu, Drama, Googly, Raja Huli, Gajasekari, Mr and Mrs Ramachari and Masterpiece.

Because of his continued rocking success, he was apparently given the sobriquet ‘Rocking Star’ Yash. “Be it a character of a lover boy or village boy, Yash had developed his own style of acting. He was very natural in his dialogue delivery, expression and body language,” adds Kumar.

By 2015, ‘Rocking Star’ Yash had established himself as one of the top stars in Kannada cinema along with Upendra, Puneeth Rajkumar and Sudeep. What made Yash unique was that he became an extremely bankable Kannada star who had a strong fan following. But he was always clear about his fame and popularity. Yash has often said that success is a responsibility, and he has never been laidback about it.

Kannada producer and actor Harish Mallya says he has watched Yash from the time he was in TV serials. “In the 2000s...the Kannada film industry celebrated actors more than directors and actors realised that the only way to make a mark was to do mass movies. From the film Googly, Yash started to establish himself as a mass hero. The films that followed also showcased him as the sole attraction of the film and he was identified by the audience soon as a mass hero. Yash became a hero who had a huge demand in the dubbed markets as well," Mallya says.

Yash in 'KGF: Chapter 2'. When 'Chapter 1' was being made, he insisted the film be released in other languages too. The reason: he felt it would connect with a pan-Indian audience. (Image source: Twitter/@TheNameIsYash)

KGF and beyond

When director Prashanth Neel and Yash started to work on KGF: Chapter 1 in 2017, the Kannada star realised that this was a movie that would appeal to all Indians - irrespective of whether or not they knew Kannada.

Despite the fact that the producer and director were not in favour of releasing it in other languages, Yash believed in this film and pushed for it. When it released in 2018, it went on to gross more than Rs 250 crore, making it the highest-grossing Kannada film. The Rocking Star was no longer just a Kannada star but an Indian star.

Explains Kannada filmmaker and actor Abhilash Shetty, “Yash is a self-made star. He impressed everyone in his debut film itself. He chose good scripts and different characters throughout his career. He is a versatile actor; whether it's comedy, action, drama, etc., he nails it!”

Given Yash’s acting talent and his theatre background, his uncanny ability to relate to the audience and know what will click with them, has been one of his biggest strengths, according to his directors. In fact, KGF’s Prashanth Neel has always maintained that Yash’s contribution to the success of the series has been his insightful inputs throughout the writing of the film.

“Yash always encouraged his directors to write something ‘big’ for him every time. He was very ambitious to become a big star, and this was right there from his early days. It’s good that he has achieved it now with Prashanth Neel and KGF. But what will be interesting is to see where he goes from here. What is his next step? I can’t imagine the fame he has got right now and we are happy to see the success he has got now after the struggle of the last two decades,” adds Mallya.

The vision the actor has for himself also extends to the Kannada film industry he hails from. Yash has stated, “My vision since the beginning was to represent my industry and get that due respect from the rest of the country. When Karnataka is doing so well in other fields, I wanted to shine a light on my industry.” With the KGF films, Yash has clearly done that!

Yash's versatility, bankability and uncanny ability to relate to the audiences have helped him attain superstardom. (Image: Twitter/@TheNameIsYash)

Radhika Pandit: Love of his life

Yash is married to the talented Kannada actress Radhika Pandit. Yash and Pandit have acted together in numerous films, and that’s how love blossomed between the two. They first met on the sets of the TV series Nanda Gokula, but their friendship took off only when they starred together in Drama. They got married in Bangalore in 2016. Till today, they say, the core foundation of their relationship remains friendship.

Yash states that he and Radhika are good friends and that she has been his sounding board throughout the KGF journey. Yash states that while he is practical, Radhika absorbs all the pressure he faces. But success doesn’t mean that it’s just about making money - the couple, through their foundation, has done tremendous work in the area of desalination of lakes and providing water in drought-ridden areas in Karnataka.

Today, Yash is at the height of his career and his vision to become a global star and take the Kannada industry to greater heights has come true. However, the 36-year-old actor is also clear that he has a much longer way to go in making all his dreams come true. With KGF: Chapter 3 around the corner, Rocky bhai is definitely taking this success story forward. But what after that, is the big question.