PremiumRocking Star Yash: The film industry can’t function only with the top 2-3 heroes; we need to support new talent
The KGF superstar was speaking on the sidelines of a public event in Bengaluru and said that audiences and the industry at large should encourage and facilitate the growth of new talent
Last Updated: 05.32 PM, Feb 16, 2024
Rocking Star was the opening of a new gym in Bengaluru on Valentine’s Day when he chose to educate his fans and audiences at large about the need to support new talent in the Kannada film industry and that expecting 2-3 stars to shoulder the entire burden of running Sandalwood was not the right approach.
Speaking to the media on the sidelines of the event, Yash reiterated that a few actors like him cannot be the be all and end all of the Kannada industry. The actor said that he is just a small cog in the wheel and tries to do his bit for the betterment of Kannada cinema.
“Today, the way other film industries and audiences across the country look at Kannada cinema is, no doubt, a lot different than it was some time ago. This has given us the confidence to aim even higher and we have been trying to figure out what can be done in this respect. But that’s not the only way the industry will grow. If you don’t support and encourage new talent and only expect 2-3 top heroes to keep doing films and then complain that the quality has suffered, that is not right,” said Yash.
The Rocking Star said that it was not only the responsibility of audiences, but also the extended parts of showbiz, like, for instance, television channels and OTT platforms, that ought to support other films too. If the failure of one film of an actor means that he gets support from these channels, it is impossible for the industry to prosper, reckoned Yash, adding that a hero does not come up overnight. There is a journey of hard work and struggle that goes behind any leading man. “Just because someone’s had a flop doesn’t mean he won’t taste success again,” he said.
Yash cited the example of his KGF director Prashant Neel, who not only struggled to make his debut film Ugramm, but also had no takers for the satellite rights, which eventually went to some third party for a paltry sum. But then Prashant got another chance at glory with KGF, which happened only because Yash and the producers of KGF put their trust in the filmmaker and supported him to make a film that became a talking point not only in Kannada cinema, but across the country.
In the face of such devastating loss, other filmmakers would, either leave the industry for good or seek other pastures, said Yash, adding that it is the industry’s responsibility to encourage talent and facilitate his growth. “We need to look beyond the top tier and bring in new talent into the industry,” Yash signed off.