'He will always be our Rocky Bhai': KGF producers dismiss 'incorrect' reports claiming Yash wasn't first choice for film

Hombale Films, producers of KGF films, have reacted to reports claiming that Yash was not the first choice for the blockbuster franchise.

Hombale Films has reacted to recent reports that Kannada star Yash was not the first choice for the lead role in their super successful KGF film franchise. The studio issued a statement after multiple reports claimed this.

Yash plays Rocky Bhai in Prashanth Neel's hugely successful KGF films.

Hombale Films issues statement

The production house is now setting the record straight. In a statement to Hindustan Times, it states, “We have a long-standing partnership with Yash, longer than with any other actor we are currently working with. Moreover, Yash is part of our family. KGF was envisioned with Yash in mind, and for us, he will always be our Rocky Bhai. 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. We have not made any such comments.”

What was originally said

Last week, in an interview with HT, Hombale Films' co-founder Chaluve Gowda had remarked how the success of their films like KGF and Kantara had led to a rise in visibility of Kannada films. He said that whenever they approached actors from outside Karnataka for their films, they were met with rude dismissals. “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,” Gowda had said.

While Gowda never said that the offer was for the lead role in KGF, and HT's own article never implied it either, several other reports and social media accounts reported it with that angle.

About the KGF films

KGF Chapter 1, starring Yash, released in 2018, and became Kannada cinema's biggest hit, grossing ₹250 crore. It was eclipsed by its all-time blockbuster sequel - KGF Chapter 3 - which grossed a phenomenal ₹1250 crore. Both films were directed by Prasanth Neel and produced by Hombale Films. The production house has since given big hits like Kantara, Salaar, and Mahavatar Narsimha.