Kannada actor Yash may now be one of the biggest names in Indian cinema, but he still remains humble toward his seniors. In a recent interview with Rajat Sharma on Aap Ki Adalat, Yash spoke about the 2018 box office clash between his film KGF: Chapter 1 and Shah Rukh Khan’s Zero, which proved to be a major turning point in his career. Although KGF performed better than Zero commercially, Yash said that the success never made him feel superior to Shah Rukh, and his remarks have been widely appreciated by fans.
Yash looks back at KGF vs Zero's box office clash
In a promotional segment for Aap Ki Adalat, Yash was asked whether he had deliberately released KGF alongside Zero in 2018 because he was a fan of Shah Rukh Khan and the superstar had not met him. Yash laughed off the question and replied, “I’m still his fan. We were a small film. Shah Rukh sir’s movie was bigger, so we adjusted our release.” When told that his film had performed better than SRK’s, he responded, “He’s a superstar.
The day I start thinking I’m bigger than my seniors, that’s the day my shop shuts down (that day I’m finished).”Yash's humility won over fans. One commented, "That humility is a slipper shot to Bollywood PR." Another wrote, "He is the real superstar." A fan wrote, "Real king." Another comment read, "He is so humble." One more wrote, "The way he respects SRK."
Even during the trailer launch of KGF: Chapter 1, Yash had said that the clash with Zero was not “intentional”. “I strongly believe there is enough space. One film cannot acquire the whole country. There will be two or three films. Especially for us, since we have five languages, we had to have a date which is suitable for five languages. It is not an intentional thing, but when you have to release with five languages, you need a date which is good with all distributors,” he argued.
While Zero, starring Shah Rukh Khan, Anushka Sharma, and Katrina Kaif in the lead roles, underperformed at the box office, Yash’s KGF: Chapter 1 turned into a phenomenon. It became the highest-grossing Kannada film until its sequel overtook it. The movie also secured two National Awards at the 66th National Film Awards, winning for Best Action Direction and Best Special Effects.
Yash and Shah Rukh Khan's upcoming movies
Yash is currently waiting for the release of his next film, Toxic: A Fairytale for Grown-Ups. Directed by Geetu Mohandas, the movie features him in a dual role and also stars Kiara Advani, Nayanthara, Tara Sutaria, Huma Qureshi, and Rukmini Vasanth. The film is slated to hit theatres in August 2026.
Shah Rukh, meanwhile, is gearing up for the release of his next film, King. Directed by Siddharth Anand, the movie features Abhishek Bachchan, Deepika Padukone and Suhana Khan in leading roles, with Arshad Warsi, Raghav Juyal and others in significant parts. The film is slated to hit theatres on December 24.