Yash is one of the biggest stars in Kannada cinema. He started in television, broke through in films with Moggina Manasu (2008), and became a pan-India name with the KGF series, in which he plays Rocky. He is known as the “Rocking Star” and has won three Filmfare Awards South and five SIIMA Awards.
His biggest commercial success is KGF: Chapter 2 (2022), which crossed ₹1,000 crore worldwide. His most recent release, Toxic: A Fairy Tale for Grown-Ups (August 2026), underperformed against its reported budget. Ramayana: Part 1, in which he plays Ravana and which marks his Hindi film debut, releases on 5 November 2026. Here is a detailed look at his movies, box-office numbers, hit-or-flop verdicts and career records.
Yash Profile
| Detail | Information |
| Full Name | Naveen Kumar (Naveen Kumar Gowda) |
| Screen Name | Yash (“Rocking Star”) |
| Date of Birth | 8 January 1986 |
| Age | 40 years |
| Birthplace | Boovanahalli, Hassan, Karnataka, India |
| Profession | Actor and Film Producer |
| Industry | Kannada Cinema (Sandalwood), now also Hindi and pan-India films |
| Nationality | Indian |
| Wife | Radhika Pandit |
| Marriage Year | 2016 |
| Children | 2 |
| Father | Arun Kumar |
| Mother | Pushpa |
| Film Debut | Jambada Hudugi (2007) |
| First Lead Role | Rocky (2008) |
| Production Ventures | Monster Mind Creations (co-producer of Ramayana); producer and co-writer of Toxic |
| Popular Genres | Romance, Action, Comedy-Drama, Gangster |
| Major Awards | 3 Filmfare Awards South, 5 SIIMA Awards |
| Years Active | 2004–present |
| Filmography Coverage | 2007–2027 |
Yash Filmography: All Movies List (2007–2027)
The table lists his major theatrical releases with roles, reported budgets and box-office figures where reliable numbers exist. Cameos and special appearances are marked separately. A dash means no consistently reported figure. Figures marked “reported” are trade or media estimates and vary by source. Verdicts follow media and trade reports of each film’s commercial performance.
| Year | Movie | Role | Budget | Box Office (Approx.) | Verdict |
| 2007 | Jambada Hudugi | Lakshmikanth (debut, supporting) | – | – | – |
| 2008 | Moggina Manasu | Rahul | – | – | Success |
| 2008 | Rocky | Rocky (first lead) | – | – | Flop |
| 2009 | Kallara Santhe | Somu | – | – | Flop |
| 2009 | Gokula | N. Raja | – | – | Flop |
| 2010 | Thamassu | Imran (cameo) | – | – | Cameo |
| 2010 | Modalasala | Karthik | – | – | Hit (first solo hit) |
| 2011 | Rajadhani | Raja | – | – | Flop |
| 2011 | Kirataka | Nandisha | – | Among top Kannada grossers of 2011 | Hit |
| 2012 | Lucky | Vikram “Vicky” / Lucky | – | – | Fairly Successful |
| 2012 | Jaanu | Siddharth | – | – | Fairly Successful |
| 2012 | Drama | T. K. Venkatesha | – | Among top Kannada grossers of 2012 | Hit |
| 2013 | Chandra | Dancer (special song appearance) | – | – | Cameo |
| 2013 | Googly | Sharath | – | ₹15 Cr (reported) | Hit |
| 2013 | Raja Huli | Raja Huli | – | ₹12 Cr (reported) | Hit |
| 2014 | Gajakesari | Krishna and Bahubali (dual role) | – | ₹30 Cr (reported) | Hit |
| 2014 | Mr & Mrs Ramachari | Ramachari | ₹6 Cr | ₹50 Cr | Blockbuster |
| 2015 | Masterpiece | Yuva and Bhagat Singh (dual role) | – | ₹30–35 Cr (reported) | Hit |
| 2016 | Santhu Straight Forward | Santhu | – | ₹30 Cr | Hit |
| 2018 | KGF: Chapter 1 | Raja Krishnappa Bairya “Rocky” | ₹80 Cr | ₹250 Cr worldwide | Blockbuster |
| 2022 | KGF: Chapter 2 | Raja Krishnappa Bairya “Rocky” | – | ₹1,000+ Cr worldwide | All-Time Blockbuster |
| 2026 | Toxic: A Fairy Tale for Grown-Ups | Raya / Ticket (dual role) | ₹500 Cr (reported) | ₹312–340 Cr worldwide | Flop |
| 2026 | Ramayana: Part 1 | Ravana | – | Releases 5 Nov 2026 | Upcoming |
| 2027 | Ramayana: Part 2 | Ravana | – | – | Upcoming |
Yash Box Office Records
Most of Yash’s early films released mainly in Karnataka. Pan-India tracking really begins with KGF, so the records below cover only his big-scale films.
1. Top Worldwide Grossers
| Rank | Movie | Year | Worldwide Gross (Approx.) |
| 1 | KGF: Chapter 2 | 2022 | ₹1,000+ Cr (some trade reports say ₹1,250 Cr) |
| 2 | Toxic | 2026 | ₹312–340 Cr (varies by tracker) |
| 3 | KGF: Chapter 1 | 2018 | ₹250 Cr |
| 4 | Mr & Mrs Ramachari | 2014 | ₹50 Cr |
| 5 | Masterpiece | 2015 | ₹30–35 Cr |
2. Top India Net Collection
| Rank | Movie | Year | India Net |
| 1 | KGF: Chapter 2 | 2022 | ₹859.70 Cr (all languages, Sacnilk) |
| 2 | Toxic | 2026 | ₹246+ Cr (Day 12, Sacnilk; India gross ₹267 Cr at close) |
3. Biggest Opening
Toxic opened with about ₹101.10 crore net in India across languages on Day 1, according to Sacnilk. That was a huge start, but reports said it fell short of the KGF: Chapter 2 opening. It was also followed by a steep drop of over 60% on Day 2.
4. Ratings Snapshot
On IMDb, KGF: Chapter 1 and KGF: Chapter 2 both sit at 8.2, Mr & Mrs Ramachari at 7.3, Gajakesari at 6.5 and Masterpiece at 6.2. On Rotten Tomatoes, KGF: Chapter 1 is his highest-rated film at 67%, and KGF: Chapter 2 is his lowest at 50%.
Yash’s Most Successful Movies
- KGF: Chapter 2 (2022): The sequel in which he reprised Rocky, with Sanjay Dutt and Raveena Tandon. It became the highest-grossing Kannada film ever and one of the highest-grossing Indian films.
- KGF: Chapter 1 (2018): Prashanth Neel’s gold-mine saga. It was the most expensive Kannada film of its time, a pan-India hit, and won him the Filmfare Award for Best Actor – Kannada.
- Mr & Mrs Ramachari (2014): A romantic drama opposite Radhika Pandit. It was the highest-grossing Kannada film of 2014, ran for about 200 days and won him his first Filmfare Best Actor award.
- Googly (2013): A college romance that reinvented him as a leading man. It made him a rising star.
- Raja Huli (2013): A comedy-drama and remake of a Tamil film, and another strong commercial success.
- Gajakesari (2014): A fantasy action film in which he played a dual role, and one of his early “mass hero” hits.
- Masterpiece (2015): An action drama in which he played a hot-headed college student and Bhagat Singh in a dual role.
- Santhu Straight Forward (2016): An action romance that earned about ₹30 crore despite the demonetisation slowdown.
- Drama (2012): A romantic comedy opposite Radhika Pandit and one of the highest-grossing Kannada films of 2012.
- Moggina Manasu (2008): His breakthrough film. It won him the Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actor – Kannada.
Yash Movies by Genre
| Genre | Popular Movies |
| Romantic Drama | Moggina Manasu, Mr & Mrs Ramachari, Santhu Straight Forward |
| Romantic Comedy | Modalasala, Kirataka, Lucky, Drama, Googly |
| Action / Mass Entertainer | Gajakesari, Masterpiece, Jaanu, Raja Huli |
| Gangster / Period Action | KGF: Chapter 1, KGF: Chapter 2, Toxic |
| Crime Thriller | Rajadhani |
| Family Drama | Gokula |
| Social Drama | Kallara Santhe |
| Mythological Epic | Ramayana: Part 1 and Part 2 |
Yash Hit and Flop Movies: Career Analysis
Yash’s career has gone through three clear phases.
Early struggle (2008–2011). After Moggina Manasu, his first lead film Rocky flopped. Kallara Santhe, Gokula and Rajadhani also failed to do well commercially. Modalasala (2010) became his first solo hit, and Kirataka (2011) followed.
Rise as a mass hero (2012–2016). From Lucky, Jaanu and Drama in 2012, he built a long run of hits. These included Googly, Raja Huli, Gajakesari, Mr & Mrs Ramachari, Masterpiece and Santhu Straight Forward. Media reports described Mr & Mrs Ramachari as his fifth straight commercial success.
Pan-India superstardom (2018–2022). KGF: Chapter 1 made him a national star, and KGF: Chapter 2 took him past ₹1,000 crore worldwide.
The Toxic setback (2026). After a four-year gap, Toxic opened strongly but dropped sharply and closed well below its reported ₹500 crore budget. Critics and audiences gave it mixed to negative reviews. The reported budget varies by source, with some estimates higher, so the “flop” label depends on which figure you use.
Overall, Yash has built his career on mass-hero roles and large-scale action. Hit-or-flop verdicts depend on budget, distributor share and recovery rather than collections alone.
Yash Upcoming Movies
| Movie | Expected Release | Status |
| Ramayana: Part 1 | 5 November 2026 | Releasing worldwide |
| Ramayana: Part 2 | Diwali 2027 (announced by makers) | Upcoming |
In Nitesh Tiwari’s Ramayana, Yash plays Ravana opposite Ranbir Kapoor as Ram and Sai Pallavi as Sita. He is also a co-producer through Monster Mind Creations, alongside Namit Malhotra’s Prime Focus Studios and DNEG. Release schedules can change, and some sources list Part 2 for 2028, so check for updates.
Yash Lifetime Box Office Success Ratio
This ratio is a rough editorial estimate, not an official Box Office India figure. It uses 19 theatrical releases from 2008 to 2026 in which Yash had a lead or major role. It excludes Jambada Hudugi (supporting debut, no reliable verdict), the cameos Thamassu and Chandra, and upcoming films.
- Successful or better: 14 films (Moggina Manasu, Modalasala, Kirataka, Lucky, Jaanu, Drama, Googly, Raja Huli, Gajakesari, Mr & Mrs Ramachari, Masterpiece, Santhu Straight Forward, KGF: Chapter 1 and KGF: Chapter 2)
- Flops: 5 films (Rocky, Kallara Santhe, Gokula, Rajadhani and Toxic)
(Successful films ÷ Total releases) × 100
= (14 ÷ 19) × 100
= 73.68%
The ratio will change as new releases like Ramayana are added.
Read Also: Ajay Devgn Filmography | Shah Rukh Khan Filmography | Akshay Kumar Filmography | Ranbir Kapoor Filmography
Frequently Asked Questions
Yash has acted in about 21 feature films since 2007, counting his debut, lead roles and cameos. This includes Toxic (2026), and Ramayana: Part 1 and Part 2 are upcoming.
His feature debut was Jambada Hudugi (2007). His breakthrough came with Moggina Manasu (2008). First lead role was Rocky (2008).
KGF: Chapter 2 (2022). It crossed ₹1,000 crore worldwide and is the highest-grossing Kannada film of all time.
KGF: Chapter 1, KGF: Chapter 2, Mr & Mrs Ramachari, Googly, Raja Huli, Gajakesari, Masterpiece and Santhu Straight Forward.
It is widely reported as a commercial failure. It grossed roughly ₹312–340 crore worldwide against a reported budget of around ₹500 crore. Trackers differ on the exact totals.
Based on 19 theatrical releases and 14 successes, the estimated ratio is about 73.68%.
Ramayana: Part 1, in which he plays Ravana, releases worldwide on 5 November 2026. Ramayana: Part 2 is planned for Diwali 2027.
Ethan Mitchell is a freelance entertainment writer and film enthusiast contributing to CineTalkMedia.com. His coverage focuses on movies, television shows, web series, celebrity profiles, film reviews, ratings, box office updates, and the stories behind the entertainment industry.
With a keen interest in cinema and digital entertainment, Ethan aims to make entertainment information accessible, engaging, and easy to understand. His articles explore movie plots, cast and crew details, character backgrounds, release dates, audience reception, and critical reviews to help readers discover what to watch next.
As a freelance contributor associated with Outreachspot IT Solutions, Ethan contributes to digital publishing projects with a focus on informative content, reader experience, and clear presentation. At CineTalkMedia, his goal is to bring together entertainment news, reviews, ratings, and detailed reference-style profiles in one convenient destination for movie and television fans.
