EVERY STAR IS MADE IN HIS HEAD
THE WEEK|May 22, 2022
Rocky bhai has redefined heroism in Indian cinema. Inside theatres, his dialogues are making the crowds go wild; outside, KGF 2 is smashing all records. The movie had recently breached the ₹1,100 crore mark in worldwide collections. Now that it is done, Rocky bhai has morphed back into actor Yash. But, in an exclusive interview with THE WEEK, the Karnataka native says that there is a Rocky in everyone. He speaks about his vision for Indian cinema, what the success of KGF means for the Kannada film industry and gives a glimpse of his journey—from being the son of a bus driver to India’s newest superstar.
RAHUL DEVULAPALLI
EVERY STAR IS MADE IN HIS HEAD

INTERVIEW - YASH, actor

Q/ Are you comfortable being a superstar?

A/ Being comfortable with stardom is every actor’s desire; at least, in my life that is the case. I think in your head, you will always be a superstar, it is just that it takes time for people to accept that. And that happens through work. If this is not sounding arrogant, you should always have this confidence. That is a very positive mindset I believe in. Since childhood, I always wanted to be an actor. When people call someone a superstar, they accept their work. Once my movie is done, it is for people to decide whether they like it, or whether I am a superstar. But in my head, I will be a superstar for myself. So, when people call me that, I am happy, but it will not change anything, according to me.

Q/ Can you talk about your efforts in KGF 2 to cater to a wider audience from different regions?

A/ From the beginning, we believed in one thing—that you have to understand the language and present it in such a way that it is liked. I do not like it being called a dubbed film, because there are two types of dubbing: One, where producers sell the film and someone presents it to the best of their knowledge. The second is what we are doing now, which is not that. We hire proper writers from each language, sit with them and try to get the best of what we can get from them. Every language has its own beauty and cultural backing— we need to keep those intact. In the Kannada version of KGF, we described something as a piranha, but in the Hindi version, we described it as a geedhad ka jhund [pack of jackals]. We presented it in a way that is very authentic to the market. We applied a little Marathi texture to it because it is set in Bombay. So, dubbing takes a lot of effort.

Esta historia es de la edición May 22, 2022 de THE WEEK.

Comience su prueba gratuita de Magzter GOLD de 7 días para acceder a miles de historias premium seleccionadas y a más de 9,000 revistas y periódicos.

Esta historia es de la edición May 22, 2022 de THE WEEK.

Comience su prueba gratuita de Magzter GOLD de 7 días para acceder a miles de historias premium seleccionadas y a más de 9,000 revistas y periódicos.

MÁS HISTORIAS DE THE WEEKVer todo
William Dalrymple goes further back
THE WEEK India

William Dalrymple goes further back

Indian readers have long known William Dalrymple as the chronicler nonpareil of India in the early years of the British raj. His latest book, The Golden Road, is a striking departure, since it takes him to a period from about the third century BC to the 12th-13th centuries CE.

time-read
3 minutos  |
November 17, 2024
The bleat from the street
THE WEEK India

The bleat from the street

What with all the apps delivering straight to one’s doorstep, the supermarkets, the food halls and even the occasional (super-expensive) pop-up thela (cart) offering the woke from field-to-fork option, the good old veggie-market/mandi has fallen off my regular beat.

time-read
2 minutos  |
November 17, 2024
Courage and conviction
THE WEEK India

Courage and conviction

Justice A.M. Ahmadi's biography by his granddaughter brings out behind-the-scenes tension in the Supreme Court as it dealt with the Babri Masjid demolition case

time-read
2 minutos  |
November 17, 2024
EPIC ENTERPRISE
THE WEEK India

EPIC ENTERPRISE

Gowri Ramnarayan's translation of Ponniyin Selvan brings a fresh perspective to her grandfather's magnum opus

time-read
4 minutos  |
November 17, 2024
Upgrade your jeans
THE WEEK India

Upgrade your jeans

If you don’t live in the top four-five northern states of India, winter means little else than a pair of jeans. I live in Mumbai, where only mad people wear jeans throughout the year. High temperatures and extreme levels of humidity ensure we go to work in mulmul salwars, cotton pants, or, if you are lucky like me, wear shorts every day.

time-read
2 minutos  |
November 17, 2024
Garden by the sea
THE WEEK India

Garden by the sea

When Kozhikode beach became a fertile ground for ideas with Manorama Hortus

time-read
4 minutos  |
November 17, 2024
RECRUITERS SPEAK
THE WEEK India

RECRUITERS SPEAK

Industry requirements and selection criteria of management graduates

time-read
3 minutos  |
November 17, 2024
MORAL COMPASS
THE WEEK India

MORAL COMPASS

The need to infuse ethics into India's MBA landscape

time-read
5 minutos  |
November 17, 2024
B-SCHOOLS SHOULD UNDERSTAND THAT INDIAN ECONOMY IS GOING TO WITNESS A TREMENDOUS GROWTH
THE WEEK India

B-SCHOOLS SHOULD UNDERSTAND THAT INDIAN ECONOMY IS GOING TO WITNESS A TREMENDOUS GROWTH

INTERVIEW - Prof DEBASHIS CHATTERJEE, director, Indian Institute of Management, Kozhikode

time-read
3 minutos  |
November 17, 2024
COURSE CORRECTION
THE WEEK India

COURSE CORRECTION

India's best b-schools are navigating tumultuous times. Hurdles include lower salaries offered to their graduates and students misusing AI

time-read
8 minutos  |
November 17, 2024