Released in 2011, the Kannada film ‘Kirataka’ was the first ever major box office success for Rocking star Yash
Published Jan 11, 2024 | 5:35 PM ⚊ Updated Jan 11, 2024 | 5:35 PM
A still from the film 'Kirataka'. (Supplied)
Though Rocking Star Yash debuted in 2007, his first ever major box-office success came in 2011 through Kirataka.
Directed by the late Pradeep Raj, Kirataka starred Oviya, Tara Anuradha, Chikkanna, and TS Nagabharana in key roles. It is the remake of A Sarkunam’s 2010 Tamil film Kalavani.
Majorly a comedy flick, Kirataka is set against a village backdrop and was appreciated for its performances and making.
The plot revolves around the competition between two adjacent villages, each with its rival gangs vying against each other in every aspect.
The twist in the plot comes when the protagonist Nandisha aka Gooli (portrayed by Yash) falls in love with Nethra (Oviya). The escapades that follow are truly fun to watch till the end.
A poster of the film ‘Kirataka’. (Supplied)
Post-Kirataka, Yash delivered back-to-back success with films like Googly (2013), Rajahuli (2013), and Mr & Mrs Ramachari (2014).
Thereafter, KGF: Chapter 1 (2018) made him an overnight pan-India star hero.
He along with director Prashanth Neel worked on KGF for more than two years, with Yash sporting his trademark beard. He went unshaven until he wrapped up the shooting of KGF: Chapter 1.
This was when talks of a sequel to Kirataka being planned by writer-director Anil Kumar started making rounds in the industry.
Giving a boost to the rumours, Yash trimmed his long beard. Yash’s actor-wife Radhika Pandit thanked the Kirataka sequel team for making it possible. Yash trimmed his beard to act in the sequel to Kirataka.
However, with the humongous success of KGF: Chapter 1 and KGF: Chapter 2 (2022) on the floors, the sequel to Kirataka went into cold storage.
Recently, writer-director Anil Kumar told the media that the sequel to Kirataka is still on the cards. “Yash likes village-based subjects so much. He asked me to write a story like Kirataka and Raja Huli.”
He explained, “This was when I thought of a sequel to Kirataka with double the fun. This is why Yash trimmed his beard and even shot for the sequel for almost 20 days. But after KGF became a huge success, he got busy.”
Anil Kumar recalled that Yash often used to tell him that he would one day make the sequel to Kirataka.
With Toxic being launched and talks of the probable KGF: Chapter 3 going on, the sequel to Kirataka is a distant dream for Yash’s fans who adored him in the village avatar.
