Latest news with #KGF:Chapter1
Indian Express
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- Indian Express
‘Where do Kannada films even run?' KGF producer recalls reaction of ‘big star' who dismissed the industry
There's no point in contesting the statement that it was director Prashanth Neel's period actioner franchise KGF, starring Yash in the lead role, that put Kannada cinema on the global map. While the industry was entertaining its ardent fans before KGF, Yash's film gave them a bigger spotlight and they got more eyes on them, which proved to be profitable for the Kannada film industry. However, the road to the top wasn't smooth for the industry after all, as it was deemed hopeless by others. Chaluve Gowda of Hombale Films, which bankrolled the KGF movies, recently made a shocking revelation that exposed the contempt and disregard the biggies of other industries had towards Kannada cinema, bluntly assuming it had no audience base and would never command a vast market. Recalling a bitter experience during the casting of KGF: Chapter 1 (2018), when a 'big star' rejected their offer, Gowda stated that the person even ridiculed the industry, saying its films had no takers. 'We went to a big star for KGF years ago. They asked, 'Where do these Kannada films even run?' At that time, not many people knew about Kannada films outside of Karnataka. They knew a few names, like Dr Rajkumar. But that was it. That has definitely changed now,' he shared during a chat with Hindustan Times, adding that such stars now make a beeline for them seeking opportunities. His words soon went viral, prompting many to assume that the 'big star' was approached for the lead role, implying that Yash wasn't the first choice for his now-iconic character, Rocky. Gowda himself later clarified that the project was envisioned with Yash in mind. 'We were always in touch with several other actors pan-India for different key roles in KGF 1. Any reports or rumours claiming that Yash was not the first choice for KGF are incorrect,' he maintained. With a budget of Rs 80 crore, KGF: Chapter 1 managed to gross Rs 238 crore worldwide, making it the highest-grossing Kannada film at the time. This record was later surpassed by its sequel, KGF: Chapter 2 (2022), which grossed a staggering Rs 1,215 crore globally against a budget of Rs 100 crore. The films also featured a star-studded cast including Srinidhi Shetty, Sanjay Dutt, Raveena Tandon, Anant Nag, Prakash Raj, Ramachandra Raju, and Vasishta N Simha.
Indian Express
09-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Indian Express
‘We vow to defend our Ravana,' Raj B Shetty comments under Yash's Ramayana teaser post; KGF star responds: ‘Beyond the right and wrong…'
And just like that, Ramayana fever has gripped the country with the arrival of a three-minute, VFX-packed teaser which dropped last week. Although we are still 16 months away from the release of the first instalment in the two-part series, the buzz generated by the promo alone exemplifies how big and highly anticipated the project is. This excitement is not just because it's based on one of the two most important Hindu mythological epics, but also due to the presence of the who's who of the entertainment industry in its cast and crew. Although the teaser was almost entirely crafted using computer graphics, towards its end, we also got a glimpse of actors Ranbir Kapoor and Yash, playing Rama and Ravana respectively, sending the expectations through the roof. Now, while the teaser continues to be a major talking point, renowned Kannada actor-filmmaker Raj B Shetty has stepped forward to extend his best wishes to Yash, while also hyping him up massively. Stating that Yash's arrival as Ravana would prompt everyone to fight tooth and nail defending the antagonist, Raj also hinted that his fellow Kannadiga would give this all-powerful character the justice it deserves. 'A Kannada poet defends his antihero by stating that the great ocean crosses its limits because of time, bringing events like tsunamis. His antihero was Ravana. I think, for the first time, we vow to defend our Ravana,' Raj B Shetty wrote in the comments section of Yash's post announcing the teaser's arrival. In response, Yash noted, 'Thank you, Shetre! Ramayana, beyond the right and wrong.' Known for playing the iconic Raja Krishnappa Bairya alias Rocky Bhai in director Prashanth Neel's epic period actioners KGF: Chapter 1 and Chapter 2, Ramayana will mark Yash's Bollywood debut as well. He is also co-producing the franchise. Besides Ranbir and Yash, the film series features Sai Pallavi as Sita, Ravie Dubey as Lakshman and Sunny Deol as Hanuman. Penned by Shridhar Raghavan, the Ramayana movies are helmed by Nitesh Tiwari. Its music, meanwhile, has been crafted by globally acclaimed maestros Hans Zimmer and AR Rahman. While Part 1 is slated to arrive during the Diwali festival season in 2026, the second instalment will hit screens at the same time the following year.
Hindustan Times
02-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Hindustan Times
Yash receives the sweetest welcome home from wife Radhika Pandit as she jumps into his arms at the airport. See pic
Jul 02, 2025 02:18 PM IST Kannada star Yash has been busy lately shooting for Nitesh Tiwari's Ramayana with Ranbir Kapoor and Sai Pallavi. Once he returned to Bengaluru from Mumbai, he received the sweetest welcome home from his wife, former actor Radhika Pandit. He took to Instagram to share the adorable moment. Radhika Pandit jumped on Yash and held him close as he returned to Bengaluru. Yash took to Instagram to post a picture of the welcome he received from Radhika at the airport. In the picture, he can be seen carrying Radhika as she wraps her arms around him while holding purple star-shaped balloons. The couple sported wide smiles on their faces, clearly happy to reunite. They shared the picture in a joint Instagram post with evil eye and red heart emojis. The picture seems to have been taken at an airport bridge. Fans thought it was the cutest thing that Radhika wrapped herself around Yash at the airport. One fan commented, 'Let this cute couple not have any evil eye.' Another called them, 'Ideal ... Some called them 'couple goals' while most others commented with red heart, heart eyes and evil eye emojis. Yash and Radhika are among the most loved couples in the Kannada film industry. They met in 2007 on the sets of the TV show Nanda Gokula. They began dating but kept their relationship private for years. Speculation about their relationship intensified after they worked in the 2014 film Mr and Mrs Ramachari. The couple got engaged in Goa in August 2016 in a private event and married in December the same year in Bengaluru. They have two children. Recent work Yash was last seen in the KGF films directed by Prashanth Neel. KGF: Chapter 1 and 2 did not just open new avenues for Kannada cinema; they made him a household name. Apart from Ramayana, Yash is currently working on Geetu Mohandas' Toxic: A Fairy Tale for Grown-Ups, which is simultaneously shot in Kannada and English.
News18
01-07-2025
- Entertainment
- News18
Mouni Roy Joins Chiranjeevi's Vishwambhara For A Special Dance Number
Last Updated: Mouni Roy is set to win hearts with her yet another dance number in a special song in Chiranjeevi's much-awaited movie, Vishwambhara. Mouni Roy has already etched her name in the world of glam and glitz with her impeccable acting and dancing skills. After garnering immense praise for her stints in films like Brahmastra and KGF: Chapter 1, the actress is set to star in a special song in Megastar Chiranjeevi's much-awaited movie, Vishwambhara. The high-budget fantasy drama has been in the making for three years, and it seems the diva is set to add her charm to it. As per a report by the Great Andhra website, Mouni Roy has been roped in for a special dance number in Chiranjeevi's long-delayed Telugu film Vishwambhara. The music score has been composed by National Award winner MM Keeravani, known for his musical scores in films like the Baahubali franchise, RRR, Zakhm, Jism, and Paheli, among others. The shoot is scheduled to begin in June 2025, and it is quite interesting to see how the diva's presence in the movie spices things up. Directed by Mallidi Vassishta, Vishwambhara has been in the making for three years and is set to lock a release date. According to reports, the Telugu movie has been hugely criticised for its VFX after the makers released its teaser. Being upset by the response, Chiranjeevi asked the makers to redo the entire VFX part, contributing to the film's further delay. Check out the teaser here: Besides this, Vishwambhara, which marks Vassishta's second directorial after the huge success of Bimbisara with Kalyan Ram, is also not able to lock a date with the OTT platforms due to its heavy budget. The charges quoted by the makers were beyond the expectations of OTT platforms like Amazon and Netflix. Thus, the discussions are still ongoing. As of now, the fantasy drama is planning for a release in the summer of 2026. The high-budget movie also stars Trisha Krishnan as the female lead, alongside notable stars like Ashika Ranganath, Janhvi Kapoor, Isha Chawla, Surbhi and Kunal Kapoor. Coming back to Mouni Roy, the actress was last seen in the comedy horror film The Bhootnii, written and directed by Sidhaant Sachdev. Produced by Deepak Mukut and Sanjay Dutt, the 39-year-old shared screen space alongside Sanjay Dutt, Sunny Singh, and Palak Tiwari, among others. Looking ahead, she will be seen in Salaakaar (Advisor), which is reportedly based on the life of India's National Security Advisor Ajit Doval. Although not much is confirmed by the makers about the same, it seems the film is based on the courageous spy of the country. Additionally, Mouni has a romantic comedy in her pipeline titled Hai Jawani Toh Ishq Hona Hai.
Time of India
21-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Time of India
"I'm an entertainer, not here to be typecast": Tamannaah Bhatia on breaking stereotypes across platforms
(Picture Courtesy: Facebook) Actor Tamannah Bhatia says whether it is her special songs in movies, her performance in films or on OTT, as an entertainer, her aim is to reach out to her audience. The actor, who has featured in special appearance in a song in some of the recent films like Kannada blockbuster "KGF: Chapter 1" starring Yash, Rajnikanth-led "Jailer", " Stree 2 ", John Abraham's "Vedaa" and Ajay Devgn's " Raid 2 ", said song is "one of the many things" she does. "It happens with a lot of people, they do get typecast. But it hasn't happened with me because I do long format, features, and I work in different languages, and industries. I work on stage, I make reels. I'm an entertainer. I'm only interested in reaching people," Bhatia told PTI in an interview. "I don't consider any platform small or big. My job is to entertain people in some way, and whenever I get that opportunity, I give it my all with respect and interest, I give it my all. I hope people like it." The actor said she has a slew of exciting films in the pipeline in Bollywood like "Ranger" with Ajay Devgn, Rakesh Maria biopic with John Abraham, "No Entry" sequel and folk thriller "Vvan" with Sidharth Malhotra. "Everything leads to something. It's a misnomer that if you do something, you become typecast. I've done a lot of songs, if you count how many songs I've done, you will be stunned. But every song has either given me a connection with the people or taught me a little dance. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Quito: Con Amazon CFD, los ecuatorianos están generando dinero desde casa. Empezar ahora Registrarse Undo "In my childhood, I didn't have any dance training. So, whatever I've learnt is on a set. Every song either teaches you something or connects you to people," Bhatia, who has appeared in special songs in many South films like "Alludu Seenu", "Speedunnodu", "Jaguar", and "Jailer", said. The 35-year-old actor's special appearances in hit songs like 'Jokae Nannu' from "KGF: Chapter 1", 'Kaavaalaa' from Rajinikanth's "Jailer", 'Aaj Ki Raat' from "Stree 2", and 'Nasha' from "Raid 2" have captured the attention of the masses. Bhatia, who features in South and Hindi language films, said she feels happy when a film with her special appearance attains commercial success. "It's been on since maybe 'KGF', in which I did a song. Then I've done a song in Rajini sir's film, 'Jailer', a song in 'Stree 2', and now 'Raid 2'. The fact that all these films have made this kind of money, it's extremely validating. I'm just happy that even if I could contribute just through a song, and just the translation of the box office numbers is validating," she said. The actor fondly recounted her childhood experiences with dance, and revealed that it became her language of happiness at an early age. "At birthday parties, I was the kid who would catch all the kids and say, 'let's dance'. I was that over enthusiastic kid. I was maybe four or five years old. There are photos where I am happily dancing at birthday parties. "I used to love the song 'Tamma Tamma Loge', I still love it. Back then I thought it's my name because some people used to call me Tamma when I was little. I also loved 'Saat Samundar Paar'," Bhatia said. The actor was speaking on the sidelines of 23rd Zee Cine Awards 2025, where she performed on stage on a medley of some of the most popular special songs like 'Kajra Re', 'Sheila Ki Jawani', 'Kaala Chashma', and 'Aaj Ki Raat', among others. Check out our list of the latest Hindi , English , Tamil , Telugu , Malayalam , and Kannada movies . Don't miss our picks for the best Hindi movies , best Tamil movies, and best Telugu films .
