Yash wins hearts, says KGF beating Zero at box office doesn't make him bigger than ‘senior’ Shah Rukh Khan. Watch

Despite Yash's rise as a leading star in Indian cinema, he remains humble about his success, especially regarding his clash with Shah Rukh Khan's Zero.

Kannada actor Yash may have emerged as one of Indian cinema's biggest stars, but the Kannada superstar continues to remain grounded when it comes to his seniors. In a recent conversation with Rajat Sharma on Aap Ki Adalat, Yash reflected on the 2018 clash between his KGF: Chapter 1 and Shah Rukh Khan's Zero, which went on to become a major turning point in his career. Despite KGF outperforming Zero at the box office, Yash said the success never made him feel bigger than Shah Rukh, and his response has won praise from fans.

Yash looks back at KGF Chapter 1 and Zero's box office clash.

Yash looks back at KGF vs Zero's box office clash

In a promo for Aap Ki Adalat, Yash was asked if he had clashed KGF with Zero in 2018 because he was an SRK fan and the superstar had not met him. Yash laughed it off and said, "I’m still his fan. We were a small film. Shah Rukh sir’s film was bigger, so we released ours." When he was told that his film had outperformed SRK's film, he said, "He’s a superstar. The day I think I’m bigger than my seniors, uss din mera dukaan band (that day I’m done)."

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, which featured SRK, Anushka Sharma and Katrina Kaif in the lead roles, flopped at the box office, Yash's KGF: Chapter 1 became a sensation. It became the highest-grossing Kannada film until it was surpassed by its sequel. The film also won two National Awards at the 66th National Film Awards for Best Action Direction and Best Special Effects.

Yash and Shah Rukh Khan's upcoming movies

Yash is awaiting the release of his upcoming film Toxic: A Fairytale for Grown-Ups. Helmed by Geetu Mohandas, the film stars him in a dual role alongside Kiara Advani, Nayanthara, Tara Sutaria, Huma Qureshi and Rukmini Vasanth. The film is scheduled to release in theatres in August 2026.

Shah Rukh, on the other hand, is awaiting the release of his upcoming film King. Helmed by Siddharth Anand, the film also stars Abhishek Bachchan, Deepika Padukone and Suhana Khan in lead roles, along with Arshad Warsi, Raghav Juyal and others in key roles. The film is scheduled to release in theatres on December 24.