Yash recalls KGF beating Shah Rukh Khan’s Zero at the box office: ‘The day I think I am bigger than my seniors, my career is over’
Actor Yash has revisited the much-discussed 2018 box-office clash between his film KGF and Shah Rukh Khan’s Zero. The Kannada superstar explained that there was never any intention to compete with Shah Rukh, whom he considers a senior and a superstar.During his appearance on Aap Ki Adalat, Yash was asked about the decision to release KGF on the same day as Zero and whether the clash had anything to do with his admiration for Shah Rukh Khan. The actor was reminded that he had wanted to meet the Bollywood star and was asked if the release clash was his response to not getting an opportunity to meet him.Yash laughed off the suggestion and explained that he never considered KGF to be on the same scale as Zero.
Yash calls KGF a ‘small’ film compared to Zero
“Our film was a small one and Shah Rukh sir’s film was huge, so we released on the same day,” Yash said.Both films released on December 21, 2018. While Zero arrived as one of the most anticipated Bollywood films of the year, KGF was a Kannada-language production that would go on to achieve unexpected success across India.Starring Yash as Rocky, KGF became a major turning point in his career. Its success helped transform him into one of the country’s prominent pan-India stars and eventually led to the sequel KGF: Chapter 2.
KGF eventually outperformed Zero at the box office
The two films had very different theatrical journeys. KGF emerged as a major commercial success, eventually earning around Rs 250 crore worldwide, according to the figures discussed during the interview.Zero, meanwhile, had a comparatively modest theatrical run and collected around Rs 100 crore worldwide.Despite the difference in their box-office performances, Yash made it clear that he does not allow commercial numbers to influence his perception of Shah Rukh Khan’s stature.
‘He is a superstar’
Yash spoke about Shah Rukh with considerable admiration and said he would never allow the success of one film to make him believe he had surpassed his seniors.“He is a superstar and the day I think that my seniors, unse main bada hoon, uss din meri dukaan band,” Yash said.
On the work front
Yash is now gearing up for his next major release, Toxic: A Fairytale for Grown-Ups.Directed by Geetu Mohandas, the film features Nayanthara, Huma Qureshi, Kiara Advani and Tara Sutaria in key roles.Toxic: A Fairytale for Grown-Ups is scheduled to hit theatres on August 28.Yash is also gearing up for one of the most ambitious projects of his career – Ramayana, directed by Nitesh Tiwari.The actor will play Ravana in the two-part epic, while Ranbir Kapoor stars as Lord Ram and Sai Pallavi portrays Sita. Yash is also associated with the project as a producer through his production banner.The first instalment of Ramayana is scheduled for a Diwali 2026 release, with the second part planned for a later date.
