Yash has responded to producer Allu Aravind’s past remarks about his pre-KGF stature, stressing that cinema does not belong only to producers or actors. Speaking on Aap Ki Adalat, he called filmmaking a collaborative effort where writers, technicians and character artists matter, yet acknowledged that if an actor cannot carry the film, it will fail, and that audiences rightly decide who deserves the most respect.
Superstar Yash has responded to producer Allu Aravind’s 2023 comments questioning the actor’s standing before KGF. While discussing the importance of an actor’s contribution to a film, Aravind had previously said, “Who was Yash before KGF? How big a hero was he? Why did the film make noise? He was able to elevate the film only because of its making and grandeur. The rich scale made it a success. It is just one example.”
On a recent episode of the television chat show Aap Ki Adalat, Yash was asked about the comment and an actor’s centrality to a film‘s success. He responded with: “It is true. But I also believe that cinema doesn’t just belong to a producer.”
Yash acknowledged that filmmaking is a collaborative process, with several people and factors contributing to a film’s success. “So many people work in cinema, but only the actor gets credits. Be it a character artist or a writer, everyone works hard in cinema, but if an actor is not able to carry it, the film will not work,” he said.
The actor also reflected on the disproportionate attention actors receive from audiences. “I feel audience is right, sometimes I wonder why does actor win all the love,” he said, adding, “And I truly believe that audience is never wrong. They respect everyone and are aware as to who deserves to earn more respect.”
Aravind, a prominent Telugu producer, argued in 2023 that an actor’s remuneration is only a limited component of a film’s budget, contrary to popular perceptions. It was in this context that he had commented on Yash’s stature before the KGF breakout.
“The lead actor of a movie gets only 20 to 25 per cent of the film’s budget as remuneration. So, it is not true that the budget for the film will increase because of his fees alone. On top of actors’ fees, a lot of money is spent to make the movie a big venture,” he had said.
Yash’s comments come after his stature has grown significantly following the success of the KGF franchise. He portrays Ravana, the uber-villain of Indian mythology, in Nitesh Tiwari’s upcoming two-part adaptation of the Ramayana, pegged as the most expensive Indian film ever made.
The film stars Ranbir Kapoor as Lord Ram, Sai Pallavi as Sita and Sunny Deol as Hanuman. Yash is also looking ahead to the release of Toxic, a supercharged gangster thriller with a large female ensemble. The Geetu Mohandas feature arrives in theatres on August 26.