‘Where do Kannada films even run?’ KGF producer recalls reaction of ‘big star’ who dismissed the industry

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.

‘Yash was the first choice to play Rocky Bhai’

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.