Winning a box-office clash against a Shah Rukh Khan film is almost unheard of. When KGF - Chapter 1 achieved it on its release alongside Zero in 2018, people sat up and took notice of Yash. The actor, a south sensation until then, was catapulted to pan-India stardom. Four years on, as KGF: Chapter 2 has opened on a strong note, Yash says the stardom motivates him to do better.

“Being a pan-India actor is a pleasure, not a pressure. I felt the pressure last time [during the release of KGF: Chapter 1] when I had to show the audience who I am. Now, they want to see what more we can deliver. We have done our best. We never take our fans for granted,” he states.

Prashanth Neel’s directorial venture — shot in Kannada, and dubbed in several languages — is another example of south films making an impact at the box office. How does he view the rise of pan-India films and actors? “It’s a good development. We need more actors, more [filmmakers] who have a global approach. The vision is to bring people together and make it one industry, at the end of the day.”

KGF: Chapter 2, also starring Sanjay Dutt, Prakash Raj and Raveena Tandon, boasts of grand visuals and larger-than-life characters. Asked how he infuses reality into such parts, Yash says, “You have to understand that hopes and dreams have no limitations. When you see a larger-than-life film, it has a bigger message. It is presented in a universal way, so that most people can relate to it. Rocky [his character] belongs to the mining world where people have illegal control of mines, but this character can be relatable in any other setting or organisation. When you have a larger-than-life character, you need to balance it with a universal message and make it relatable. People will buy what you are saying if it is backed by [strong] content and emotion.”