KGF: Chapter 1
Theatrical release poster
Directed byPrashanth Neel
Written byPrashanth Neel
Produced byVijay Kiragandur
Starring
Narrated byAnant Nag
CinematographyBhuvan Gowda
Edited bySrikanth Gowda
Music byRavi Basrur
Production
company
Distributed by
Release dates
Running time
155 minutes[1]
CountryIndia
LanguageKannada
Budget₹80 crore[2]
Box officeest. ₹250 crore[3][4]

KGF: Chapter 1 is a 2018 Indian Kannada-language period action film[5] written and directed by Prashanth Neel, and produced by Vijay Kiragandur under the banner of Hombale Films. It is the first installment in the KGF series, followed by KGF: Chapter 2. The film features an ensemble cast including Yash, Ramachandra Raju, Srinidhi Shetty, Vasishta N. Simha, Achyuth Kumar, Anant Nag, Archana Jois, Malavika Avinash, T. S. Nagabharana, Ayyappa P. Sharma, John Kokken, Lakki Lakshman, B.S Avinash, Tarak Ponnappa, B. Suresha and Dinesh Mangaluru. Filmed on a budget of ₹80 crore (equivalent to ₹107 crore or US$13 million in 2023), it was the most expensive Kannada film at the time of its release.[2] In the film, Rocky, a high-ranking mercenary, working for a prominent gold mafia in Bombay, seeks power and wealth in order to fulfill his mother's promise. Due to his high fame, the leaders of the gold mafia where he works hire him to assassinate Garuda, the son of the founder of Kolar Gold Fields.

The film's development began in early 2015, after Neel finished writing the screenplay.[6] Filming began two years later, in January 2017. Most of the film is set in the Kolar Gold Fields and was filmed in locales such as Kolar, Mysore, and parts of North Karnataka. The film's production was completed in August 2018.[7] Bhuvan Gowda handled the cinematography and Srikanth Gowda edited the film. Composer Ravi Basrur scored the film.[8]

The Kannada version of KGF: Chapter 1 was released on 20 December 2018 and the dubbed versions in Telugu, Tamil, Malayalam and Hindi released the next day.[9] The film received positive reviews from critics and dialogues from the film became famous worldwide. Due to this, the film performed well commercially and collected ₹250 crore (equivalent to ₹334 crore or US$42 million in 2023) in its entire theatrical run, becoming the highest-grossing Kannada film and turned out to be a cult hit.[10] At the 66th National Film Awards, the film won two awards for Stunt Choreography and Best Special Effects.[11] At the 66th Filmfare Awards South, the film won two awards from five nominations, including the award for Best Film and Best Actor for Yash.

Plot

Journalist Anand Ingalagi's book El Dorado, which detailed the events at the Kolar Gold Fields (KGF) between 1951 and 2018, was banned by the Indian government, but a television news channel procures a copy and interviews him.

Government officials discovered gold ore in southern Mysore State in 1951. On the same day, Raja "Rocky" Krishnappa Bairya was born to a poor underage Shanti. Suryavardhan, one of the powerful dons and politicians of that time, who accompanied them, has killed the officials and leases the land for 99 years under the pretext of running Narachi, a limestone mine, but secretly establishes K.G.F. and his crime syndicate. For looking after his empire of blood, Suryavardhan keeps five associates: Kamal, son of Suryavardhan's late associate Bhargav, who looks after gold refinery in Varca; Rajendra Desai, who oversees the transportation of refined gold bars coming from the refinery; Andrews, who oversees the gold smuggling in the Western Coast; Guru Pandian, president of the in-government DYSS party who gave political influence to Suryavardhan; and Adheera, Suryavardhan's younger brother, know for his ruthlessness, headed the KGF security. Suryavardhan suffers a stroke and appoints his elder son Garuda as the future heir of K.G.F. Suryavardhan expected Adheera to serve as his son's aide, but Adheera unsuccessfully attempts to assassinate Garuda. In turn, Garuda bombs Adheera's car and he is presumed dead. Suryavardhan's associates eye the riches of KGF and plan to assassinate Garuda.

Rocky arrives in Bombay as a ten-year-old on a quest for wealth and power as desired by his dying mother, and begins to work for Shetty, a gold smuggler and Andrews' underboss, who competes against a Dubai-based underworld don Inayat Khalil. Years later, he rises in ranks and oversees the arrival of 'African' gold bars to the Bombay coast. Rocky's influence begins to rival Shetty's own. Andrews', who notices this, offers him Bombay in return for assassinating Garuda. Rocky accepts the offer and heads to Bangalore; he meets Desai's daughter Reena and falls in love with her. This irritates Reena's fiance Kamal, who immediately dislikes Rocky. A statue inauguration is organised for luring Garuda out of K.G.F. With the help of Desai, Andrews, Kamal and Andrews' secretary Daya, Rocky enters the party office with a smuggled pistol. But the attempt is averted even before it began when they are spotted by Garuda's bodyguards. Rocky witnesses the authority and power that Garuda commands. Seeing no other option to murder Garuda, Rocky journeys to K.G.F, killing a unit of Garuda's henchmen to enter. The workers in K.G.F, who were forcibly kidnapped, are subjected to inhumane conditions and treated as slaves. Rocky becomes one of them and although apathetic at first, he is moved by the cold-blooded murder of a mother and son by a guard. Rocky stealthily accesses the map of the mine in the maintenance room during a roll call and narrowly escapes death after a fellow slave sacrifices himself to save the lives of his wife and unborn child. Andrews, Kamal and Desai are misinformed about the incident and assume Rocky is killed.

Rocky engages in a fight with an entire unit of twenty-three guards, killing each one of them to save a blind slave they were about to brutally murder. With this act, Rocky emerges as a messiah in the slaves' eyes. He orders them to burn the guards' corpses to let Andrews' and his men know he is still alive via their informants, Kulkarni and Garuda's younger brother Virat. Garuda prepares to leave his residence to investigate the fire and missing guards. To avert this, Virat smothers Suryavardhan, in order to sidetrack Garuda, who rushes back home.

Shaken by the recent bad turn of events, Garuda orders Maa Kaali's ritual to be rescheduled from the following week to the next day, planning to kill his father's allies as soon as the ritual is complete. The next day, Rocky heads unsuspected through a tunnel to the site where Garuda has decided to behead three slaves as offerings to the goddess, as Vanaram discovers that the third slave to be beheaded was found dead inside his prison cell. Upon Garuda's arrival and sacrifice of two slaves, a concealed Rocky, who had taken the third slave's place, emerges and beheads him. The ecstatic slaves accept Rocky as their leader.

Ingalagi concludes that Rocky intentionally chose KGF as the location to assassinate Garuda, thereby inspiring an army of slaves to help him seize control. The narrator (Anand) indicates, however, that this is just the beginning. The news of Garuda's murder reaches Ramika Sen, the to-be prime minister of India. Adheera, who was presumed dead, hears the news of Garuda's death and plans to resurface so does Inayat Khalil. All others at the K.G.F including Desai, Kamal, Andrews, Daya, Khalil and Shetty, were overjoyed by hearing the news. As Vanaram orders his men to attack Rocky and his army, a gunshot is heard.

Cast

Yash at KGF Chapter 1 event
  • Yash as Raja Krishnappa Bairya aka "Rocky", a mercenary working for Shetty and KGF's crime syndicate and the main protagonist, who was born to a poverty-stricken lady, Shanthamma.[12]
    • Anmol Vijay as young Rocky[13]
  • Ramachandra Raju as Garuda, Suryavardhan's eldest son and the main antagonist
  • Srinidhi Shetty as Reena Desai, Rajendra Desai's daughter, Kamal's fiancee and Rocky's girlfriend
  • Vasishta N. Simha as Kamal
  • Achyuth Kumar as Guru Pandian, DYSS Party president and a high-ranking associate at KGF, who gives political support to KGF
  • Archana Jois as Shanthamma, Rocky's mother,[14]
  • Anant Nag as Anand Ingalagi, the author of El Dorado
    • Ashok Sharma as young Anand Ingalagi
  • Ramesh Indira as Suryavardhan, the founder of the KGF's political cult and father of Garuda and Virat
  • Vinay Bidappa as Virat, Garuda's younger brother
  • Lakki Lakshman as Rajendra Desai, Reena's father and a high-ranking associate at KGF
  • B. S. Avinash as Andrews, Shetty's boss and a high-ranking associate at KGF
  • Tarak Ponnappa as Daya, Andrews' secretary
  • Dinesh Mangaluru as Shetty, Rocky's employer and a prominent gold smuggler
  • Harish Rai as Khasim, Shetty's aide and Rocky's confidant
  • Balakrishna as Inayat Khalil, a Dubai based don[15]
  • T. S. Nagabharana as Srinivas, the owner of TV news channel 24/News
  • Malavika Avinash as Deepa Hegde, the chief editor of 24/News
  • Govinde Gowda as a peon at 24/News
  • Mohan Juneja as Nagaraju, an informer to Ingalagi
  • Ayyappa P. Sharma as Vanaram, commander of KGF
  • John Kokken as John, overseer of KGF
  • Puneeth Rudranag as Rugga, overseer at the KGF mines
  • Neenasam Ashwath as Kulkarni
  • B. Suresha as Vittal, a slave at KGF
  • Srinivas Murthy as Narayan, a slave at KGF
  • Yash Shetty as Shyam, archaeological department officer
  • Lakshmipathi as Kencha, a slave at KGF, the storyteller
  • Roopa Rayappa as Shanthi, a slave at KGF
  • Krishnoji Rao as an old blind man working in KGF
  • Surya Shekhar as Dilawar
  • Sampath Maitreya as Shanti's husband
Cameo appearance
  • Tamannaah Bhatia as Milky, performance in the special song "Jokae"
  • Mouni Roy as Lucy, performance in the special song "Gali Gali"

Production

Pre-production

Following the success of Mr. and Mrs. Ramachari (2014), Yash signed for four projects as of March 2015, including one with director Prashanth Neel (of Ugramm fame).[16] The project, KGF, about an ambitious man and his life in the 1970s, was considered to be one of the most expensive films in Sandalwood cinema. Hombale Films, the production house led by Vijay Kiragandur, bankrolled the project,[17] and one of its production executive Karthik Gowda, stated that "KGF, which is set in the 70s, took over one and a half years of pre-production, because they wanted to ensure they got every single detail right, be it the matchboxes, telephone, or the clothes people wore."[18] The film's director, Prashanth Neel, stated that the film would be launched in April 2016, and the shooting would begin in May 2016.[18] Ravi Basrur, who earlier scored music for the director's Ugramm, was hired for the project, while Bhuvan Gowda handled the cinematography.

In an interview with The Times of India, Prashanth Neel stated that he planned to split the film in two parts, as the narration of the story is in a non-linear format. The decision to split the film into two parts also had to do with its commercial prospects. He further added “The scale of the project is huge and we had a scope for a beginning, an interval, and an end for both parts, so it made sense for us to release it as two parts”. As for the decision to make it a multilingual release, he says that it was because the film is based on a unique idea and has a universal theme.[19] About the rumours of doing KGF as a "Tamil version, with Suriya being roped in, but failing to do so", he stated that it was meant to be a Kannada film.[20]

In December 2020, during the making of its second installment, Prasanth Neel denied rumours of a third installment in the KGF franchise, claiming that the story would conclude in its second part.[21]

Development

The film features an ensemble cast, most of them completely new faces. The cast members sported rugged looks, given the subject and setting of the film. Yash grew his beard and long hair for his role as Rocky, a slick and a suave person of the 1970s.[22] Bangalore-based model Srinidhi Shetty, a winner of the Miss Supranational 2016, was cast alongside Yash.[23] Srinidhi, a self-confessed fan of Yash, claimed that she had watched his films Drama and Mr. and Mrs. Ramachari, and stated that he is one of the actors to whom she looks forward.[24] In August 2017, Vasishta Simha bagged a pivotal role in the film,[25] while Ramya Krishnan and Nassar were falsely reported to be a part of the film.[26]

In July 2016, the filmmakers kick-started a 15-day schedule in North Karnataka, without Yash, as the actor was shooting for Santhu Straight Forward (2016). The first schedule of the film took place on a huge set, which took more than 35–40 days to construct.[27] The film was slated to take off earlier that year, but was pushed back because of problems surrounding the Kalasa Banduri issue, which meant the team had to cancel its initial shoot schedule plans. The schedule was further complicated by Yash's break from shooting films, in order to focus on his wedding to Radhika Pandit, which was held in Bangalore in December 2016.[28]

Filming

The film's shooting began on 15 January 2017,[29] after completing the final stages of pre-production.[30] On 25 January 2017, the filmmakers erected huge sets at Badami, to replicate Kolar in the period of 1970–80, thereby filming extensively in the location.[31] The art director Shivakumar recreated the Kolar Gold Fields film set of the 1980s and VFX was used as an extension for the film.[32] Aware that a freak accident happened at the sets of Masti Gudi (2017), claiming the lives of two actors, producer Kirangadur secured an insurance cover for the crew members working on the film.[33] As of 25 June 2017, the project was 50 percent complete, and production had restarted after sets were rebuilt, following their destruction by heavy rains.[34][35]

As a part of the film's shoot, the filmmakers painted a portion of the Jayalakshmi Vilas Mansion, which is located on the campus of University of Mysore. Some sequences of the movie, which has Yash and Srinidhi Shetty in the lead roles, were also shot at the centenary clock tower located next to the campus.[36] Yash entered the final schedule of the film in April 2018.[37] In May 2018, actors Malavika Avinash and Anant Nag filmed the interview sequence, one of the major scenes in the film's storyline.[38] At the end of the month, Yash had announced that he had completed his portions, and started dubbing for the film. As of May 2018, the filmmakers completed major portions of the film, except one song.[39]

In August 2018, Kajal Aggarwal was reported to shoot for a song sequence, thus marking her debut in Kannada.[40] However, on 9 August, Tamannaah Bhatia was hired for a song number,[41] thus marking her second film appearance in Kannada, after Jaguar (2016).[42] On 17 August 2018, the filmmakers announced that shooting of the film had wrapped,[43] although another song shoot for the film's Hindi version, featuring Yash and Mouni Roy,[44] took place at the Goregaon Studio on 7 and 8 December.[45]

Themes and influences

In an interview with director Prashanth Neel for The Times of India about the theme of the film, he stated "'KGF' has a strong texture of gold in it, which is about greed and gold. KGF, in many ways, is akin to El Dorado. The way kings and soldiers have over the years gone looking for the mythical El Dorado, where anyone who lays claim to the place ruled the world. This is what Anant Nag (narrator) says in the film, too.”[46] Prashant explains about the setting of the film in 1970–80, stating, "In 1978, because of the Cold War between the USA and the erstwhile Soviet Union that had affected places like Iran and Afghanistan, the price of gold went up the highest in the recorded history. Till date, one cannot find another time when the price of gold shot up so much. So, 1978 was the perfect setting for us, because the higher the price of gold, the higher the greed of men.”[46] The film was also inspired by action movies and western movies[47] like The Good, the Bad and the Ugly and For a Few Dollars More.[48]

Music

Ravi Basrur composed the soundtrack album and the film's score, while Tanishk Bagchi remastered the track "Gali Gali" from Tridev (1989) for the film's Hindi version.[49] The audio rights of the film were purchased by Lahari Music in Kannada, Telugu, Tamil, and Malayalam for ₹3.6 crore (equivalent to ₹4.8 crore or US$600,000 in 2023), a record sum for any South Indian film; the Hindi version's audio rights were bought by T-Series.[50]

The track "Salaam Rocky Bhai" served as the lead single from the soundtrack album.[51] It was released in Kannada, Tamil, Telugu, and Malayalam on 7 December 2018,[52] along with the full soundtrack album;[53] the album for the Hindi version was released on 9 December 2018. The karaoke versions of the songs were released on 27 December 2018.

The film's score was released in two volumes; the first volume of the original soundtrack was released on 10 September 2019, and the second volume was released on 12 October 2019.

Marketing

The first look of the film was released on 3 May 2017.[54] On 8 January 2018, coinciding with Yash's birthday, a one-minute long introductory teaser, with Ananth Nag narrating, was unveiled by the production team.[55] After responding to a fan's request, Yash announced that the film's trailer would be released in October 2018.[56] Farhan Akhtar shared the first look on 6 November 2018 and a second one on 8 November on the occasion of Diwali.[57] The official trailer of the film was released on 9 November 2018.[58] The trailer crossed more than one million views within an hour of its release.[59][60]

Special promotions were planned on 4 December in Chennai, and 6 December in Hyderabad.[61] On 9 December 2018, the makers hosted a pre-release event at the JRC Convention Centre in Hyderabad to promote the film's Telugu version. S. S. Rajamouli graced the event as the chief guest.[62] As a part of the film's promotion, an online game, KGF, specially designed for Android mobile phones, was released by Mobi2Fun Private Limited for the Google Play Store, which saw more than 5,000 downloads upon its initial release.[63]

Release

Theatrical

On 28 August 2017, the filmmakers announced that KGF will be made as a multilingual film, released in Kannada, Malayalam, Tamil, Telugu, and Hindi languages, marking the first foray of its crew members (including Yash) into different industries.[64] The filmmakers planned to release the film in the second half of 2018. On 19 September 2018,[65] it was announced that the first part of the film will be released on 16 November 2018;[66][67] however, the release was postponed to 21 December.[68]


YouTube

KGF Chapter 1 also release his hindi dubbed version on YouTube channel Goldmines Telefilms his hindi dubbed version crossed more than 750 million views. [69]

Distribution

The distribution rights for the Kannada version were bought by KRG Studios, a sister company of Hombale Films. The film's Hindi version was distributed by Rithesh Sidhwani, Farhan Akhtar, and Anil Thadani,[70] who bought the rights under their banners Excel Entertainment and AA Films.[71] The rights for the Tamil and Telugu dubbed versions were sold to Vishal Film Factory and Vaaraahi Chalana Chitram.[72][73] The Malayalam-dubbed rights of the film were sold to Global United Media.[74]

Screenings and statistics

K.G.F: Chapter 1 received a U/A certificate from the Central Board of Film Certification in early December 2018.[75][76] It was reported that the film would be released to 1,800–2,200 screens worldwide,[77] the widest ever release for a Kannada film.[78][79][80] However, it was later reported that the film was released to 2,460 screens, including 1,500 for the Hindi version, 400 each for Kannada and Telugu, 100 for Tamil and 60 for Malayalam.[81]

The advance booking for the shows were started on 16 December 2018, and saw a tremendous response upon its initial bookings.[82] Following its response, the filmmakers allotted early morning shows at 4:00 a.m. for the preview.[83] The film was released in the U.S. and Canada on 20 December 2018 and in India the following day.[84] The day also saw releases in parts of Africa, Hong Kong, New Zealand and parts of Eastern Europe, including Cyprus, the first in these regions for a Kannada film.[85] The film released in Malaysia on 28 December and in United Kingdom on 4 January 2019.[86]

The Hindi-dubbed version of the film was released to 71 screens in Pakistan on 11 January and became the first Kannada film to be released there, although Lucia (2013) was screened at film festivals and had no theatrical release in the country.[87][88]

Film festivals

KGF was screened at the 11th Bangalore International Film Festival on 28 February 2019, where it received an award for the Best Picture in the Entertainment category, and was adjudged the most popular Kannada film by the jury members.[89][90]

Lawsuit

On 20 December 2018, the 10th Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate court in Bengaluru had passed an interim stay before the film's release, following two petitions, filed by Venkatesh G, Yogesh and Ratan, citing plagiarism allegations, and also accusing the filmmakers of portraying Kolar's history in a poor light.[91] However, the producer Kiragandur stated that the film will be released on the said date, and asked fans to avoid rumours.[92] On 27 December 2018, the filmmakers issued a statement that the shows in Australia were cancelled due to an unauthorized screening, as the distributors of the film did not consult the producers of the original.

Piracy

On 18 December 2018, a few scenes from the film were leaked onto social networking sites,[93] although Karthik Gowda, the executive producer, labeled it a rumour and clarified that the filmmakers have created a team to fight against online piracy.[94] Despite preventative measures, pirated versions of the film were made available before its release.[95] In May 2020, the producers sued a local television channel for premiering the film's Telugu version illegally.[96]

Home media

The film's digital rights were sold to Amazon Prime Video for ₹18 crore (equivalent to ₹22 crore or US$2.8 million in 2023),[97] and premiered on 5 February 2019, along with its dubbed versions.[98] Colors Kannada bought the satellite rights for an undisclosed record price,[99] and hosted its premiere on 30 March 2019.[100] The Tamil version of the film was telecast through Colors Tamil on 7 April.[101] Sony Pictures Networks acquired the satellite rights of the Hindi version.[102]

The film's Telugu version was premiered on Star Maa on 5 July 2020,[103][104] and registered an average TRP rating of 11.9, with many citing the delay of the premiere for more than 18 months after the theatrical release date.[105] The Malayalam version of the movie was jointly purchased by Asianet and Kairali TV. The movie premiered on Asianet and Kairali TV on 14 December 2020.

Re-release

The film was re-released in the United States to 35 locations on 31 January 2019, becoming the first Kannada film to be re-released in the country.[106] On 1 November 2019, coinciding with the occasion of Kannada Rajyotsava, the filmmakers re-released the film at 25–30 centres across Karnataka, with a week run during its release.[107] The film's Hindi version was re-released in PVR, Inox, and Cinepolis theatres, on 23–29 October 2020.[108]

Reception

Box office

On the first day of its release, KGF: Chapter 1 collected ₹25 crore (equivalent to ₹33 crore or US$4.2 million in 2023) worldwide,[109] which was the highest opening in the Kannada film industry. In Karnataka's capital Bengaluru alone, the film earned about ₹5 crore (equivalent to ₹6.7 crore or US$840,000 in 2023) on the first day.[110] The film registered a gross of ₹59.61 crore (equivalent to ₹80 crore or US$10 million in 2023) at the worldwide box office on its first three days, becoming the fastest Kannada film to gross ₹50 crore (equivalent to ₹67 crore or US$8.4 million in 2023).[111] The film grossed around ₹113 crore (equivalent to ₹151 crore or US$19 million in 2023) worldwide in the first week of its release,[112] becoming the first Kannada film to gross ₹100 crore (equivalent to ₹134 crore or US$17 million in 2023).[113] On 9 January 2019, trade analysts announced that the film entered the ₹200 crore (equivalent to ₹249 crore or US$31 million in 2023) mark, thus becoming the first Kannada film to do so.[114][115] It went on to gross around ₹250 crore (equivalent to ₹311 crore or US$39 million in 2023)[4] and completed a theatrical run of over 100 days in a couple of centres in Karnataka.[116]

India

On the first day of release, KGF: Chapter 1 collected ₹18.1 crore (equivalent to ₹24 crore or US$3.0 million in 2023) net at the domestic box office.[117] The Hindi version raked in more than ₹2 crore (equivalent to ₹2.7 crore or US$340,000 in 2023) at the box office on the first day.[118] On the second day, the film outdid its first day totals, with a worldwide total of ₹25 crore (equivalent to ₹33 crore or US$4.2 million in 2023).[109] First weekend totals stood at around ₹59.6 crore (equivalent to ₹80 crore or US$10 million in 2023) worldwide from all versions,[119] whereas the Hindi-dubbed version collected over ₹9 crore (equivalent to ₹12 crore or US$1.5 million in 2023).[120] On the fourth day, the film collected approximately ₹80 crore (equivalent to ₹107 crore or US$13 million in 2023)[121] while the Hindi version saw a jump of 45% on Monday.[122] On 25 December 2018, the film saw a steep incline on the box office due to the Christmas holidays, collecting more than ₹84 crore (equivalent to ₹112 crore or US$14 million in 2023) upon release.[123] The fifth day totals stood at up to ₹100 crore (equivalent to ₹134 crore or US$17 million in 2023).[124]

The film collected more than ₹105 crore (equivalent to ₹140 crore or US$18 million in 2023) at the domestic box office in the first week of release.[125] After ten days, the film had collected ₹87 crore (equivalent to ₹116 crore or US$15 million in 2023) from Karnataka, ₹1.6 crore (equivalent to ₹2.1 crore or US$270,000 in 2023) from Kerala, ₹6.1 crore (equivalent to ₹8.2 crore or US$1.0 million in 2023) from Tamil Nadu, and ₹14.5 crore (equivalent to ₹19 crore or US$2.4 million in 2023) from Telugu-speaking states.[126] The film entered the ₹100 crore (US$13 million) mark in Karnataka on the fifteenth day of box office, thus becoming the first film in Karnataka to do so.[127]

It collected over ₹134 crore (equivalent to ₹179 crore or US$22 million in 2023) in Karnataka, becoming the highest-grossing film in that state, and beating the previous record set by Baahubali 2: The Conclusion.[128][129] The film collected ₹24.39 crore (equivalent to ₹30 crore or US$3.8 million in 2023) in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, ₹3.18 crore (equivalent to ₹4.0 crore or US$490,000 in 2023) in Kerala, and ₹8.82 crore (equivalent to ₹11 crore or US$1.4 million in 2023) in Tamil Nadu; the film earned more than ₹172 crore (equivalent to ₹214 crore or US$27 million in 2023) across theatres across South India.[130] Its Hindi version earned more than ₹40.39 crore (equivalent to ₹50 crore or US$6.3 million in 2023); it became the fourth-highest grossing Hindi-dubbed film after the Baahubali franchise and 2.0 of the that time.[131][132] The film earned more than ₹204 crore (equivalent to ₹273 crore or US$34 million in 2023) at the domestic box office.[133]

Other territories

Premiering at more than 100 theatres in 50 locations,[134] K.G.F became the fastest Kannada film to cross $200k and $300k in the United States box office.[135][136] As of 25 December, the film earned $413,214, becoming the first Kannada film to earn $400k at the box office.[137] Within the end of the first week, K.G.F collected more than $522,848 at the box office,[138] becoming the first Sandalwood film to cross a half million ($500k) dollars in United States.[139]

During the second weekend, the film grossed $146,207, to take its total tally to $669,055, and it crossed the $700k mark within the second week.[140] Thereafter, the tally saw a normal dip and the film ended its lifetime total at $805,637 in the country.[141]

Apart from the US, the film collected £22,656 in United Kingdom, $9,539 in New Zealand, and RM 11,406 in Malaysia,[132] to collect a cumulative $1.5 million in overseas profits.[142]

Critical response

K.G.F: Chapter 1 received positive reviews from critics.[143] While its story plot, cinematography, action sequences, music, narration, direction and cast performances of the ensemble cast received acclaim, critics had mixed comments about the screenplay and editing. However the film's dialogues became famous worldwide, especially Yash and Anant Nag's dialogues.[144]

Reviewing for Deccan Herald, Vivek M. V. felt that the "grandeur" lay in the film's "fantastically gripping story". He praised the film's narration, its "brilliant" editing, and "riveting sequences".[145] Sunayana Suresh of The Times of India gave the film rating of 3+1⁄2 stars out of five, writing that it had a "fast-paced first half ... but the second half and the climax sets up the right premise for the second part of the film." She called the screenplay's "non-linear" fashion the "most interesting part of the film". She commended Yash's performance, in that he "lives his character to the fullest".[146] Troy Ribeiro of News18 echoed her sentiment, writing, "Yash's endurance, strife and sincerity ... get projected as perfunctory" in the context of "tight close-ups and mid-shots the camera stops us from getting emotionally connected to" every actor in the film. He further wrote, "With intense atmospheric lighting, every frame in the film looks aesthetic and natural. Brilliant cinematography and equally challenging action sequences are put together with razor-sharp edits. They give the film a racy pace."[147] Priyanka Sundar of Hindustan Times called the film a "story of greed and redemption" that "burns bright". While praising the "promising" background score, "sharp" editing, and "stunning" visuals, she felt that the screenplay could have been "tighter".[148]

Janani K. of India Today felt the film was "dragged and over-stretched", and gave it a three out of five-star rating. While she commended Yash's "extraordinary performance" and the "brilliantly choreographed stunt sequences", she wrote that despite having "universal theme, [the film] gets lost in translation, thanks to sloppy editing and atrocious dialogues."[149] Subha J. Rao of Firstpost gave the film a similar rating, and praised the film's music, cinematography, and art direction, particularly the latter in "bringing alive the grime and heat of the gold mines". However, she felt "[t]ighter editing ... would have smoothened out the kinks" in the film.[150] Shashiprasad S. M. of Deccan Chronicle scored the film 2+1⁄2 stars out of five, describing the film as "a visual spectacle". Barring that, he felt it fell short of "instilling the much-needed life into it."[151] Karthik Keramalu of Film Companion felt that the film fell short of "becoming a great movie by a long mile". He dismissed the dialogue delivered by Yash's character as a "lengthy sermon about his own valour", while also criticizing the film's editing.[152]

Excluding what he described the film's climax as "spectacular with the support of a brilliant cast" and "spot-on" sets and location, Muralidhara Khajane of The Hindu felt there was "nothing in the film that we have not seen before". While writing that "[t]here is a certain finesse to the edgy, moody cinematography", he concluded that the film lacked a "soul, a believable story, and a rounded protagonist."[153] Manoj Kumar R. of The Indian Express scored the film 2+1⁄2 stars out of five, deeming it "[a]n overstretched exercise in hero worship". While drawing comparisons of certain scenes to those from Baahubali, he felt the film had a "flimsy storyline", which he added was made up for by its "terrific background orchestra".[154] Also writing for the same news publication, Shubhra Gupta drew comparisons of the film in plot to those of Nayakan, Deewaar, and Parinda in its first half. She felt that the film had "nothing more" than "striking cinematography, and the brown and sepia colours which suffuse the screen."[155]

The character of Rocky was well received by critics. Janani K. of India Today said that "You take a look at [Rocky] and instantly you know that this guy will do the impossible and pull people out of their misery."[156] Sunaina Suresh of Times of India said that "The growth of Rocky is shown steadily and the makers kept a clever story telling pattern right through that keeps pace with the narrative." Suresh further added: "The first chapter shows Rocky as the maverick mastermind who will stop at nothing in order to achieve his mission."[157] Troy Ribeiro of News18 said that "Rocky is the new Superhero in the town."[158]

Accolades

Year Ceremony Category Recipient(s) Result Ref.
2018 2018 Karnataka State Film Awards Best Music Director Ravi Basrur Won [159]
Best Art Director Shiva Kumar K Won
2019 Zee Kannada Hemmeya Kanndiga Awards Best Film K.G.F Won [160]
Best Director Prashanth Neel Won
Best Actor Yash Won
Best Cinematographer Bhuvan Gowda Won
Best Music Director Ravi Basrur Won
Best Villain Ramachandra Raju Won
Best Lyricist V. Nagendra Prasad Won
Voice Of The Year Vijay Prakash Won
66th National Film Awards Best Special Effects Unifi Media Won [161]
Best Stunt Choreography Vikram More, Anbariv Won
8th SIIMA Awards Best Film K.G.F Won [162][163]
Best Actor Yash Won
Pantaloons style icon male of the year Yash Won
Best Director Prashanth Neel Won
Best Actor in a Negative Role Ramachandra Raju Nominated
Best Debut Actress Srinidhi Shetty Nominated
Best Supporting Actress Archana Jois Won
Best Cinematographer Bhuvan Gowda Won
Best Music Ravi Basrur Won
Best Supporting actor - Male Achyuth Kumar Won
Best Playback Singer - Male Vijay Prakash Won
66th Filmfare Awards South Best Film – Kannada K.G.F: Chapter 1 Won [164]
Best Director – Kannada Prashanth Neel Nominated
Best Actor – Kannada Yash Won
Best Music Director – Kannada Ravi Basrur Nominated
Best Female Debut Srinidhi Shetty Nominated

Sequel

Before the release of the first K.G.F film in December 2018, the filmmakers shot 20% of its second installment, with the crew doing double shifts till January 2019.[165][166] The film has Yash and Srinidhi Shetty reprising their roles from the first film, while Sanjay Dutt[167] and Raveena Tandon[168] were cast in pivotal new roles. The shooting of the film kick-started on 13 March 2019.[169]

K.G.F: Chapter 2 was originally scheduled to hit theatres on 23 October 2020,[170][171] but its release was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic in India.[172] In January 2021, the filmmakers announced a new release date of 16 July 2021[173] but again got postponed due to the same reason. On 22 August 2021, the filmmakers announced that the film will release on 14 April 2022.[174] Finally Chapter 2 was released on 14 April 2022 in Kannada, and in dubbed versions for the Telugu, Hindi, Tamil, and Malayalam languages.

Legacy

The success of 'KGF' means a lot to the Kannada industry, especially to a lot of our talented technicians who don't get the due they deserve. A lot of our talented technicians have been looking for a platform and 'KGF' has provided them that pedestal. This success has boosted the morale of the Kannada industry. It has justified the talent of Prashanth Neel.

— Yash in an interview to IANS, after the success of K.G.F[175]

The film was praised by many celebrities across the South Indian film industry. Director Pa. Ranjith praised the team after watching the trailer of the film,[176] while Puneeth Rajkumar and Shah Rukh Khan also appreciated Yash and the filmmakers.[177][178] Raveena Tandon,[179] Rashmika Mandanna,[180] Ram Gopal Varma,[181] and Sumalatha Ambareesh (wife of late actor Ambareesh)[182] also praised Yash's performance. Tamil actor Vijay, who watched a special screening of the film on 20 January 2019 in Chennai,[183] praised the team for its brilliant filmmaking, and Yash for his performance.[184]

Following the box office performance of the film, on 3 January 2019, the Income Tax Department raided the homes of several film stars and producers from the Kannada industry,[185] including Yash and the film's producer, Vijay Kiragandur,[186] and its actors have also been asked to provide details of Yash's remuneration for the film, shedding light on the fact that the movie's performance was considered to be the reason behind the IT raid.[187]

In a March 2018 interview with IANS, Yash stated that "The success of KGF: Chapter 1 boosted the morale of the Kannada film industry. This success means a lot to all the untapped talent of our industry".[188] K.G.F also established Kannada cinema in the multilingual film market, with the 2019 releases Pailwaan, Kurukshetra, and Avane Srimannarayana being released in multiple languages.[189] Shjilpa Sebastian wrote an article for The Hindu, "2019: The Year when Kannada Cinema Went National", in which she stated that the film "changed the game plan for the Kannada film industry".[190]

KGF became the most streamed film on Amazon Prime Video in 2019.[191] Director Nagathihalli Chandrashekhar, chairman of the Karnataka Chalanachitra Academy, praised the film, stating: "We can expect more 'KGF's in the future. Not everyone can make a 'KGF', but its success can inspire more quality filmmaking using both local and international technicians."[192][193]

See also

References

  1. ↑ Nathan, Archana (21 December 2018). "'KGF' film review: Lots of style and not enough substance". Scroll.in. Archived from the original on 18 January 2019. Retrieved 23 December 2018.
  2. 1 2 "KGF Box Office collection: Record! 1st Kannada movie to release in Pakistan; earns whopping Rs 200 cr worldwide". Zee Business. 17 January 2019. Archived from the original on 8 February 2022. Retrieved 9 December 2020.
  3. ↑ "KGF: Chapter 2 - This Bollywood actor to boost box office collections of Yash starrer?". www.zeebiz.com. 29 July 2019. Archived from the original on 30 October 2020. Retrieved 4 September 2020.
  4. 1 2 "Yash's film KGF: Chapter 1 made Rs 250 crore at the box office worldwide and became a magnum-opus. Now, the makers are busy with pre-production work of KGF: Chapter 2.", indiatoday, 9 February 2019, archived from the original on 27 March 2019, retrieved 14 February 2019
  5. ↑ "The story of KGF is fresh and special for Indian cinema: Yash". The New Indian Express. Archived from the original on 12 August 2023. Retrieved 23 December 2018. With Rajinikanth-Akshay Kumar's 2.0 clawing its way up the Indian box-office — arriving on the heels of Baahubali 1 and 2, which proved the theatrical potential of epic crossover films — Kannada cinema seems ready with a massive offering in the period action genre, KGF: Chapter 1.
  6. ↑ "Yash And Radhika Pandit To Pair Up Again In KGF!". Filmibeat. 6 March 2015. Archived from the original on 16 October 2019. Retrieved 25 December 2018.
  7. ↑ "Yash discusses risks of shooting on a gold mine for KGF". The Indian Express. 20 December 2018. Archived from the original on 20 December 2018. Retrieved 25 December 2018.
  8. ↑ Kumar, Hemanth (16 December 2018). "KGF: Chapter 1 — Yash, director Prashanth Neel on their upcoming film, and taking cues from SS Rajamouli". Firstpost. Archived from the original on 30 August 2023. Retrieved 25 December 2018.
  9. ↑ Hooli, Shekhar H. (21 December 2018). "KGF movie review: This is what Hindi, Telugu, Tamil, Malayalam audience say about Yash starrer". International Business Times, India Edition. Archived from the original on 13 November 2021. Retrieved 25 December 2018.
  10. ↑ "Yash's film KGF: Chapter 1 made more than Rs 250 crore at the box office worldwide and became a magnum-opus. Now, the makers are busy with pre-production work of KGF: Chapter 2.", indiatoday, 9 February 2019, archived from the original on 27 March 2019, retrieved 14 February 2019
  11. ↑ "66th National Film Awards for 2018 announced". Press Information Bureau Government of India Ministry of Information & Broadcasting. Archived from the original on 10 August 2019. Retrieved 9 August 2019.
  12. ↑ "'KGF – Chapter 1' film review: Introduces a new Superhero". The New Indian Express. 21 December 2018. Archived from the original on 25 July 2023. Retrieved 22 December 2018.
  13. ↑ "Meet the younger version of Yash in KGF". The New Indian Express. 8 December 2018. Archived from the original on 25 July 2023. Retrieved 22 December 2018.
  14. ↑ Sharadhaa, A. (21 December 2018). "'KGF – Chapter 1' film review: Introduces a new superhero". The New Indian Express. Archived from the original on 25 July 2023. Retrieved 23 December 2018.
  15. ↑ "Exclusive Interview : Aadarsh Balakrishna- I have taken my career very seriously now". 123telugu.com. 15 May 2020. Archived from the original on 30 November 2020. Retrieved 10 January 2021.
  16. ↑ Joy, Prathibha. "Yash has signed four films". The Times of India. Archived from the original on 17 April 2022. Retrieved 9 January 2021.
  17. ↑ Suresh, Sunayana. "Yash turns script doctor for his films". The Times of India. Archived from the original on 17 April 2022. Retrieved 9 January 2021.
  18. 1 2 Suresh, Sunayana. "Yash to shoot for most expensive film in July". The Times of India. Archived from the original on 17 April 2022. Retrieved 9 January 2021.
  19. ↑ Suganth, M. "Yash's 'KGF' is about a gangster's rise and fall". The Times of India. Archived from the original on 4 May 2022. Retrieved 9 January 2021.
  20. ↑ "KGF was always meant to be a Kannada film with Yash". The Times of India. Archived from the original on 17 April 2022. Retrieved 9 January 2021.
  21. ↑ ""There won't be a part 3 to 'K.G.F'": Director Prashanth Neel squashes every rumor regarding 'K.G.F: Chapter 3'". The Times of India. Archived from the original on 4 May 2022. Retrieved 10 January 2021.
  22. ↑ "Is Yash growing his hair for KGF?". The Times of India. Archived from the original on 17 April 2022. Retrieved 9 January 2021.
  23. ↑ Suresh, Sunayana. "Hot pairs to look forward to in 2017". The Times of India. Archived from the original on 17 April 2022. Retrieved 9 January 2021.
  24. ↑ "Yash to romance a beauty queen!". The Times of India. Archived from the original on 29 November 2020. Retrieved 9 January 2021.
  25. ↑ Sunayana Suresh (28 August 2017). "Vasishta N Simha bags a pivotal role in KGF". timesofindia.indiatimes.com. Archived from the original on 22 September 2018. Retrieved 24 November 2018.
  26. ↑ Sunayana Suresh (29 August 2017). "KGF to be multilingual, will release in five languages". timesofindia.indiatimes.com. Archived from the original on 25 March 2019. Retrieved 24 November 2018.
  27. ↑ Suresh, Sunayana. "Yash's movie to begin, but without him!". The Times of India. Archived from the original on 17 April 2022. Retrieved 9 January 2021.
  28. ↑ "Yash to take a break to focus on his wedding". The Times of India. Archived from the original on 4 December 2020. Retrieved 9 January 2021.
  29. ↑ "Yash-starrer KGF starts as per schedule". The New Indian Express. 15 January 2017. Archived from the original on 9 April 2023. Retrieved 25 December 2018.
  30. ↑ Suresh, Sunayana. "Yash's most expensive film is ready to roll". The Times of India. Archived from the original on 3 December 2020. Retrieved 9 January 2021.
  31. ↑ "KGF to be shot in Badami". The Times of India. Archived from the original on 17 April 2022. Retrieved 9 January 2021.
  32. ↑ Shinde, Prajwal (3 March 2019). "Art director and VFX responsible for KGF's larger than life visuals". Indian Express. Archived from the original on 17 October 2018. Retrieved 27 October 2018.
  33. ↑ Desai, Dhwani. "Insurance cover for all crew members in Yash's KGF". The Times of India. Archived from the original on 12 November 2020. Retrieved 9 January 2021.
  34. ↑ Sharadhaa, A (25 June 2017). "Storm or shine, Rocking star Yash's KGF stays on schedule". The New Indian Express. Archived from the original on 7 January 2019. Retrieved 30 June 2017.
  35. ↑ "KGF shoot continues despite heavy rains". The Times of India. Archived from the original on 17 April 2022. Retrieved 9 January 2021.
  36. ↑ Lokesh, Vinay. "KGF team gives heritage structure Jayalakshmi Vilas Mansion a facelift". The Times of India. Archived from the original on 8 December 2020. Retrieved 9 January 2021.
  37. ↑ "Yash heads to final schedule of KGF". The Times of India. Archived from the original on 17 April 2022. Retrieved 9 January 2021.
  38. ↑ "Malavika Avinash and Ananth Nag shoot for KGF". The Times of India. Archived from the original on 14 December 2021. Retrieved 9 January 2021.
  39. ↑ Suresh, Sunayana. "Yash completes shoot for KGF; starts dubbing for it". The Times of India. Archived from the original on 17 April 2022. Retrieved 9 January 2021.
  40. ↑ "Kajal Aggarwal to make Kannada debut with KGF?". The Times of India. Archived from the original on 3 August 2021. Retrieved 9 January 2021.
  41. ↑ "Tamannah Bhatia to make a return to Kannada cinema with a special appearance in 'KGF'". The Times of India. Archived from the original on 17 April 2022. Retrieved 9 January 2021.
  42. ↑ Suresh, Sunayana. "Tamannaah sizzles with Yash in a recreated classic in KGF". The Times of India. Archived from the original on 17 April 2022. Retrieved 9 January 2021.
  43. ↑ "Yash wraps up work on director Prashant Neel's 'KGF'". The Times of India. Archived from the original on 17 April 2022. Retrieved 9 January 2021.
  44. ↑ "Mouni Roy roped in for a special song in Yash starrer 'KGF'". The Times of India. Archived from the original on 17 April 2022. Retrieved 9 January 2021.
  45. ↑ "Pictures: Mouni Roy and Yash wrap shoot of their song in 'KGF'". The Times of India. Archived from the original on 17 April 2022. Retrieved 9 January 2021.
  46. 1 2 Suresh, Sunayana. "'KGF is about greed and gold'". The Times of India. Archived from the original on 5 February 2021. Retrieved 9 January 2021.
  47. ↑ Nathan, Archana (18 December 2018), "Kannada film 'KGF' dreams big: 'Cinema is becoming pan-Indian and international'", Scroll, archived from the original on 18 June 2019, retrieved 22 January 2020
  48. ↑ A, Shraddha (13 December 2018), "I wondered if I could pull off a project as big as KGF", The New Indian Express, archived from the original on 17 December 2019, retrieved 22 January 2020
  49. ↑ "KGF Chapter 1 Song Gali Gali: Mouni Roy Headlines the Remixed Tridev Song". News18. 14 December 2018. Archived from the original on 13 January 2019. Retrieved 23 December 2018.
  50. ↑ Khajane, Muralidhara (26 November 2018). "'KGF' audio rights sold for record sum". The Hindu. Archived from the original on 3 June 2023. Retrieved 23 December 2018.
  51. ↑ "First single from KGF album to be out on Friday". Cinema Express. Archived from the original on 12 January 2021. Retrieved 9 January 2021.
  52. ↑ Upadhyaya, Prakash (7 December 2018). "KGF first single: Salaam Rocky Bhai song from Yash's film is out [Lyrical Video]". www.ibtimes.co.in. Archived from the original on 5 December 2018. Retrieved 9 January 2021.
  53. ↑ "'KGF' full album out now". The Times of India. Archived from the original on 4 May 2022. Retrieved 9 January 2021.
  54. ↑ "First look of Yash's KGF out today!". The Times of India. Archived from the original on 4 May 2022. Retrieved 9 January 2021.
  55. ↑ Suresh, Sunayana. "Ananth Nag gives a peek into Yash's character in KGF today". The Times of India. Archived from the original on 4 May 2022. Retrieved 9 January 2021.
  56. ↑ "'KGF': Rocking Star Yash reveals film's trailer to be out in October". The Times of India. Archived from the original on 4 May 2022. Retrieved 9 January 2021.
  57. ↑ Chaubey, Pranita (8 November 2018). "Trending: New Poster Of KGF Introduces Us To The 'Bloody Mines Of Kolar'". NDTV. Archived from the original on 2 August 2021. Retrieved 2 August 2021.
  58. ↑ "KGF trailer out: Yash stars in biggest Kannada film ever made". indiatoday.in. 10 November 2018. Archived from the original on 18 August 2023. Retrieved 24 November 2018.
  59. ↑ Nyayapati, Neeshita. "The intriguing KGF Telugu trailer trends at #1 with 2.3M views". The Times of India. Archived from the original on 4 May 2022. Retrieved 9 January 2021.
  60. ↑ "KGF's Hindi trailer gets close to 6 million hits in less than 24 hours". The Times of India. Archived from the original on 31 March 2022. Retrieved 9 January 2021.
  61. ↑ "KGF promotions in full swing". Cinema Express. Archived from the original on 12 January 2021. Retrieved 9 January 2021.
  62. ↑ Upadhyaya, Prakash (6 December 2018). "SS Rajamouli is the special guest at Yash's KGF pre-release event". www.ibtimes.co.in. Archived from the original on 25 May 2021. Retrieved 9 January 2021.
  63. ↑ "With online 'KGF' game, Yash fans go extra mile to set 'Rocky bhai' free". The New Indian Express. 26 December 2018. Archived from the original on 8 February 2022. Retrieved 9 January 2021.
  64. ↑ Suresh, Sunayana. "KGF to be a multilingual, will release in five languages". The Times of India. Archived from the original on 26 June 2021. Retrieved 9 January 2021.
  65. ↑ "'KGF' release date to be announced on 19 September". The Times of India. Archived from the original on 4 May 2022. Retrieved 9 January 2021.
  66. ↑ "Five-language release for KGF in November". The New Indian Express. 19 September 2018. Archived from the original on 8 February 2022. Retrieved 9 January 2021.
  67. ↑ "Tamil star Vishal to announce 'KGF' trailer release date". The Times of India. Archived from the original on 4 May 2022. Retrieved 9 January 2021.
  68. ↑ "'KGF' release postponed to December". The Times of India. Archived from the original on 7 January 2019. Retrieved 9 January 2021.
  69. ↑ K.G.F Full Movie | Yash, Srinidhi Shetty, Ananth Nag, Ramachandra Raju, Achyuth Kumar, Malavika, retrieved 12 January 2024
  70. ↑ "Farhan Akhtar on producing KGF: We are enjoying work from cultures and languages which we weren't familiar with". Bollywood Life. 6 December 2018. Archived from the original on 8 February 2022. Retrieved 9 January 2021.
  71. ↑ Joy, Prathibha. "KGF gets major boost as Farhan Akhtar partners for Hindi version of the film". The Times of India. Archived from the original on 5 December 2020. Retrieved 9 January 2021.
  72. ↑ "'KGF' sells Tamil and Telugu dubbing rights". The Times of India. Archived from the original on 4 May 2022. Retrieved 9 January 2021.
  73. ↑ "Leading distributors bag Tamil, Telugu rights to KGF". The New Indian Express. 8 November 2018. Archived from the original on 22 September 2023. Retrieved 23 December 2018.
  74. ↑ "'KGF: Chapter 1' to release in 1800 to 2000 theaters across the country". The Times of India. Archived from the original on 4 May 2022. Retrieved 9 January 2021.
  75. ↑ Abhijith (8 December 2018). "Yash Starrer KGF: Chapter 1 Gets U/A Certificate From Censor Board!". Filmibeat. Archived from the original on 23 December 2018. Retrieved 23 December 2018.
  76. ↑ "Yash is like a brother from another mother: Vishal". The Indian Express. 19 December 2018. Archived from the original on 20 August 2023. Retrieved 23 December 2018.
  77. ↑ "Yash's multilingual 'KGF' to hit 2,000 screens across the country". The New Indian Express. 15 December 2018. Archived from the original on 20 August 2023. Retrieved 23 December 2018.
  78. ↑ Mankad, Himesh (20 December 2018). "K.G.F: Chapter 1, starring Yash, Srinidhi Shetty, to release on 2200 screens across India". Bangalore Mirror. Archived from the original on 20 August 2023. Retrieved 21 December 2018.
  79. ↑ "Yash's KGF to hit 2,000 screens across the country". The Times of India. 20 December 2018. Archived from the original on 20 August 2023. Retrieved 21 December 2018.
  80. ↑ "400 theatres in Karnataka, 1500 in country: Yash's 'KGF' set for big release". The News Minute. 20 December 2018. Archived from the original on 20 August 2023. Retrieved 21 December 2018.
  81. ↑ "KGF box office collection Day 1: Yash film earns Rs 18.1 crore". The Indian Express. 22 December 2018. Archived from the original on 22 December 2018. Retrieved 22 December 2018.
  82. ↑ Ratda, Khushboo. "Yash starrer KGF gets a historic advance booking at the South Indian box office". Pinkvilla. Archived from the original on 24 January 2021. Retrieved 9 January 2021.
  83. ↑ "4 am show for KGF in Bengaluru tomorrow!". The Times of India. Archived from the original on 10 April 2022. Retrieved 9 January 2021.
  84. ↑ "Yash's 'KGF' to release in more than 1,800 screens across the country". The News Minute. 17 December 2018. Retrieved 21 December 2018.
  85. ↑ "KGF collection Day 2: Yash's magnum opus works its magic at the box office". The Indian Express. 23 December 2018. Archived from the original on 23 December 2018. Retrieved 23 December 2018.
  86. ↑ "KGF: Chapter 1 Box Office Collection Day 18: Yash's film makes it to Rs 200 crore club". www.businesstoday.in. 8 January 2019. Archived from the original on 16 April 2021. Retrieved 11 January 2021.
  87. ↑ "Yash-starrer KGF becomes first Kannada film to release in Pakistan". The New Indian Express. 13 January 2019. Archived from the original on 17 January 2019. Retrieved 17 January 2019.
  88. ↑ "Rocky Bhai gets a thumbs up in Pakistan". The New Indian Express. 15 January 2019. Archived from the original on 16 January 2019. Retrieved 17 January 2019.
  89. ↑ "'KGF' and 'Mookajjiya Kanasu' take top honours at 11th International Film Festival". The Times of India. Archived from the original on 1 February 2020. Retrieved 11 January 2021.
  90. ↑ "KGF is most popular Kannada film at BIFFes". The New Indian Express. March 2019. Archived from the original on 8 February 2022. Retrieved 11 January 2021.
  91. ↑ "Bengaluru court stays KGF release". The Indian Express. 20 December 2018. Archived from the original on 24 June 2021. Retrieved 9 January 2021.
  92. ↑ "Producer says 'KGF' will be released despite court stay". The Times of India. 21 December 2018. Archived from the original on 4 May 2022. Retrieved 9 January 2021.
  93. ↑ "Yash's KGF movie leaked online even before release?". India Today. 18 December 2018. Archived from the original on 8 February 2022. Retrieved 9 January 2021.
  94. ↑ "Yash starrer 'KGF' to fight against online piracy". The Times of India. Archived from the original on 4 May 2022. Retrieved 9 January 2021.
  95. ↑ "Yash starrer 'KGF' to fight against online piracy". The Times of India. Archived from the original on 4 May 2022. Retrieved 23 March 2022.
  96. ↑ "'KGF: Chapter 1': Makers of Yash starrer to sue a local channel for airing the film illegally". The Times of India. Archived from the original on 16 January 2021. Retrieved 9 January 2021.
  97. ↑ "KGF to stream on Amazon Prime Video from February 5", Indian Express, 5 February 2019, archived from the original on 26 August 2023, retrieved 17 February 2019
  98. ↑ "Amazon Prime announces release date for 'KGF', fans delighted". The News Minute. 4 February 2019. Archived from the original on 16 May 2021. Retrieved 9 January 2021.
  99. ↑ "KGF digital rights sold to Amazon Prime for Rs 18 crore, Colors Kannada buys satellite rights", Asianet Newsable, 27 December 2018, archived from the original on 5 August 2020, retrieved 17 February 2019
  100. ↑ "KGF world television premiere on March 30". The Times of India. Archived from the original on 4 May 2022. Retrieved 9 January 2021.
  101. ↑ "'KGF: Chapter 1' Tamil will have its Television premier on April 7". The News Minute. 6 April 2019. Archived from the original on 26 February 2021. Retrieved 9 January 2021.
  102. ↑ Upadhyaya, Prakash (27 December 2018). "Yash's KGF digital and satellite rights sold for astronomical figure". www.ibtimes.co.in. Archived from the original on 25 May 2021. Retrieved 9 January 2021.
  103. ↑ Johnson, David (30 June 2020). "KGF: 18 months after its theatrical release, Telugu version of Yash-starrer to have TV premiere". www.ibtimes.co.in. Archived from the original on 15 January 2021. Retrieved 9 January 2021.
  104. ↑ "Telugu dubbed version of KGF: Chapter 1 all set for television premiere". Hindustan Times. 3 July 2020. Archived from the original on 16 January 2021. Retrieved 9 January 2021.
  105. ↑ Manjula (20 July 2020). "Mahesh Beats Yash: Sarileru Neekevvaru TRP Ratings Overtake KGF Chapter 1". www.thehansindia.com. Archived from the original on 24 January 2021. Retrieved 9 January 2021.
  106. ↑ "Yash's 'KGF' to re-release in the US". The News Minute. 1 February 2019. Archived from the original on 5 March 2021. Retrieved 11 January 2021.
  107. ↑ "'KGF: Chapter 1' to be re-released on the occasion of Kannada Rajyotsava". The Times of India. Archived from the original on 20 December 2020. Retrieved 9 January 2021.
  108. ↑ "Yash's KGF to re-release in theatres". The Indian Express. 24 October 2020. Archived from the original on 3 December 2020. Retrieved 9 January 2021.
  109. 1 2 "KGF box collection day 1: Yash's film earns Rs 25 crore on its first day despite competition from Shah Rukh Khan's Zero". m.businesstoday.in. 22 December 2018.
  110. ↑ "KGF box collection day 1: Yash's film opens well but it is no Baahubali". India Today. Archived from the original on 8 February 2022. Retrieved 17 February 2019.
  111. ↑ "KGF box office collection Day 3: Yash starrer earns Rs 59.61 crore". The Indian Express. 24 December 2018. Archived from the original on 22 January 2022. Retrieved 9 January 2021.
  112. ↑ "Yash-starrer 'KGF' strikes gold, first Kannada movie in Rs 100 crore club". The New Indian Express. 28 December 2018. Archived from the original on 8 February 2022. Retrieved 9 January 2021.
  113. ↑ "KGF box office collection Day 7: Yash-starrer inches towards Rs 150-crore mark". India Today. 28 December 2018. Archived from the original on 7 February 2019. Retrieved 17 February 2019.
  114. ↑ "Yash's KGF Enters Rs 200 Crore Club, First Kannada Film to Do So". News18. 8 January 2019. Archived from the original on 7 August 2020. Retrieved 9 January 2021.
  115. ↑ "KGF becomes first Kannada film to break into Rs 200 cr club; Njan Prakashan declared blockbuster", Firstpost, 9 January 2019, archived from the original on 13 January 2019
  116. ↑ "K.G.F: Chapter 1 completes 100 days at theaters, becomes biggest blockbuster in history of Kannada movies". 1 April 2019. Archived from the original on 11 May 2019. Retrieved 11 May 2019.
  117. ↑ "KGF day 1 box office collection: Rocking Star Yash's film smashes all records". International Business Times. 22 December 2018. Archived from the original on 8 February 2022. Retrieved 13 March 2021.
  118. ↑ "'KGF' box office collection Day 1: The Yash starrer earns Rs 18 crore across all formats on its opening day". The Times of India. Archived from the original on 21 May 2020. Retrieved 9 January 2021.
  119. ↑ "KGF box office collection day 3 total: Yash starrer earns whopping Rs 59.6 crore! Looks set to break records". Zee Business. 24 December 2018. Archived from the original on 24 December 2018. Retrieved 17 February 2019.
  120. ↑ "'KGF' box office collection Day 3: The Yash starrer action entertainer collects Rs 52.25 crore across all formats on its opening weekend". The Times of India. Archived from the original on 4 May 2022. Retrieved 9 January 2021.
  121. ↑ "KGF box office collection day 4: Yash starrer inches towards Rs 100 crore! Check earnings in Kannada, Hindi, Worldwide, India News, Business News | Zee Business". Archived from the original on 8 February 2022. Retrieved 13 March 2021.
  122. ↑ "'KGF' box office collection Day 4: The Prashanth Neel directorial starring Yash collects Rs 13.75 crore across all formats on Monday". The Times of India. Archived from the original on 22 January 2022. Retrieved 9 January 2021.
  123. ↑ "'KGF' box office collection Day 5: The Yash and Srinidhi Shetty starrer collects Rs 4.25 crore on Tuesday". The Times of India. Archived from the original on 8 March 2020. Retrieved 9 January 2021.
  124. ↑ "KGF Box Office Collection Day 6 Worldwide: Yash film in biggies club! Now trails Baahubali, 2.0". 27 December 2018. Archived from the original on 28 January 2022. Retrieved 13 March 2021.
  125. ↑ "KGF strikes gold at the box office". The Times of India. Archived from the original on 2 December 2020. Retrieved 9 January 2021.
  126. ↑ "KGF Box Office Collection Day 10: Costliest Kannada movie makes Rs 152.20 crore worldwide". www.businesstoday.in. 31 December 2018. Archived from the original on 12 April 2019. Retrieved 9 January 2021.
  127. ↑ "KGF Box Office Collection Day 15: Yash's film becomes first Kannada movie to make Rs 100 crore in Karnataka". www.businesstoday.in. 5 January 2019. Archived from the original on 22 January 2021. Retrieved 9 January 2021.
  128. ↑ "Historic Blockbuster! Yash starrer KGF tops Karnataka box office beating Baahubali 2; goes past Rs 240 crore mark globally in just 40 days | Entertainment News". www.timesnownews.com. Archived from the original on 6 June 2020. Retrieved 6 June 2020.
  129. ↑ "KGF Day 42 Collections: Yash Overtakes Prabhas, Beats Baahubali Record". menglish.sakshi.com. 4 February 2019. Archived from the original on 6 June 2020. Retrieved 6 June 2020.
  130. ↑ "KGF Worldwide Box Office Collections: Crosses Rs 200 Crore! Creates 100 Crore Club In Karnataka". Filmibeat. 6 March 2019. Archived from the original on 8 February 2022. Retrieved 11 January 2021.
  131. ↑ "KGF BO collection day 21: Yash starrer earns Rs 40.39 crore; becomes 4th highest grossing dubbed Hindi film", Times Now, 11 January 2019, archived from the original on 13 January 2019
  132. 1 2 "K.G.F – Chapter 1 Box Office Collection till Now | Box Collection - Bollywood Hungama". Bollywood Hungama. 21 December 2018. Archived from the original on 10 December 2020. Retrieved 11 January 2021.
  133. ↑ "Yash's action entertainer 'KGF' a big hit at the box office, rakes in the moolah". The News Minute. 24 December 2018. Archived from the original on 23 April 2021. Retrieved 11 January 2021.
  134. ↑ "KGF Box Office collection: Yash starrer becomes first Kannada film to set a huge record in USA". Pinkvilla. 24 December 2018. Archived from the original on 1 April 2022. Retrieved 11 January 2021.
  135. ↑ "KGF box office collection day 2: Yash's movie becomes fastest Kannada movie to cross $200K in US". www.businesstoday.in. 23 December 2018. Archived from the original on 23 December 2018. Retrieved 9 January 2021.
  136. ↑ Vyas (24 December 2018). "KGF Sets a New Record in USA". www.thehansindia.com. Archived from the original on 8 February 2022. Retrieved 11 January 2021.
  137. ↑ "KGF box office collection Day 5: Yash's movie going strong at domestic, overseas market". www.businesstoday.in. 26 December 2018. Archived from the original on 22 June 2021. Retrieved 11 January 2021.
  138. ↑ "KGF Box Office Collection Day 7: Yash's movie inches towards Rs 150 crore worldwide". www.businesstoday.in. 28 December 2018. Archived from the original on 17 June 2021. Retrieved 11 January 2021.
  139. ↑ Upadhyaya, Prakash (28 December 2018). "KGF box office collection Day 7: Here is how much Yash's film collects in its 1st week in US". www.ibtimes.co.in. Archived from the original on 25 May 2021. Retrieved 11 January 2021.
  140. ↑ Upadhyaya, Prakash (2 January 2019). "KGF box office collection: Yash's film set to reach $700K in the US". www.ibtimes.co.in. Archived from the original on 25 May 2021. Retrieved 11 January 2021.
  141. ↑ Upadhyaya, Prakash (24 January 2019). "KGF box office collection: Here is the lifetime collection of Yash's film in the US". www.ibtimes.co.in. Archived from the original on 24 May 2021. Retrieved 11 January 2021.
  142. ↑ Upadhyaya, Prakash (5 January 2019). "KGF box office collection day 15: Yash-starrer enters third week in the US". International Business Times, India Edition. Archived from the original on 21 December 2019. Retrieved 21 December 2019.
  143. ↑ "KGF box office collection Day 1: Yash film earns Rs 18.1 crore". The Indian Express. 22 December 2018. Archived from the original on 23 December 2018. Retrieved 23 December 2018.
  144. ↑ "Rocking Star Yash's 'KGF' gets a positive response from fans and audiences". The Times of India. 21 December 2018. Archived from the original on 4 January 2021. Retrieved 23 December 2018.
  145. ↑ M. V., Vivek (21 December 2018). "'KGF' movie review: Kannada cinema enters big leagues". Deccan Herald. Archived from the original on 21 December 2018. Retrieved 22 December 2018.
  146. ↑ Suresh, Sunayana (21 December 2018). "KGF Review {3.5/5}: 'KGF: Chapter 1' surely seems to have delivered what it set to achieve". The Times of India. Retrieved 22 December 2018.
  147. ↑ "KGF Review: Brilliant Cinematography, Challenging Action Sequences Give Yash's Film a Racy Pace". News18. 22 December 2018. Archived from the original on 23 December 2018. Retrieved 22 December 2018.
  148. ↑ Sundar, Priyanka (21 December 2018). "KGF Chapter 1 movie review: Yash's movie about goldmine mafia burns bright". Hindustan Times. Archived from the original on 21 December 2018. Retrieved 22 December 2018.
  149. ↑ K., Janani (21 December 2018). "KGF Chapter 1 Movie Review: Sloppy writing spoils Yash's intriguing gangster drama". India Today. Archived from the original on 26 December 2018. Retrieved 22 December 2018.
  150. ↑ Rao, Subha J. (21 December 2018). "KGF: Chapter 1 movie review — Yash-starrer has a gripping story that deserved better treatment". Firstpost. Archived from the original on 4 February 2019. Retrieved 22 December 2018.
  151. ↑ S. M., Shashiprasad (21 December 2018). "KGF movie review: Rold gold!". Deccan Chronicle. Archived from the original on 20 September 2020. Retrieved 22 December 2018.
  152. ↑ Keramalu, Karthik (21 December 2018). "K.G.F: Chapter 1 Movie Review: Prashanth Neel's Epic Falls Short Of Greatness By A Mile". Film Companion. Archived from the original on 10 August 2020. Retrieved 22 December 2018.
  153. ↑ Khajane, Muralidhara (22 December 2018). "KGF review: The pageant is beautiful but meaningless". The Hindu. Archived from the original on 21 September 2020. Retrieved 22 December 2018.
  154. ↑ Kumar R., Manoj (21 December 2018). "KGF movie review: An overstretched exercise in hero worship". The Indian Express. Archived from the original on 21 December 2018. Retrieved 22 December 2018.
  155. ↑ Gupta, Shubhra (21 December 2018). "KGF review: The movie is just a star vehicle". The Indian Express. Archived from the original on 21 December 2018. Retrieved 22 December 2018.
  156. ↑ K, Janani (21 December 2018), "KGF Chapter 1 Movie Review: Sloppy writing spoils Yash's intriguing gangster drama", India Today, archived from the original on 26 December 2018, retrieved 22 December 2018
  157. ↑ Suresh, Sunaina (23 December 2018), "KGF review", The Times of India, archived from the original on 9 January 2019, retrieved 22 January 2020
  158. ↑ Ribeiro, Troy (22 December 2018), "KGF Movie Review: Brilliant Cinematography, Challenging Action Sequences", News 18, archived from the original on 23 December 2018, retrieved 22 December 2018
  159. ↑ "Karnataka State Film Awards 2018: Raghavendra Rajkumar and Meghana Raj bag top honours; check out all winners". Bangalore Mirror. 10 January 2020. Archived from the original on 25 January 2020. Retrieved 15 April 2020.
  160. ↑ "Hemmeya Kannadiga Awards 2019 Winners List: A Big Win for Rachitha Ram, Yash and Chikkana - Zee Kannada". Archived from the original on 16 August 2019. Retrieved 16 August 2019.
  161. ↑ "National Film Awards 2019 LIVE Updates: Ayushmann, Vicky, Keerthy are Best Actors". India Today. 9 August 2019. Archived from the original on 24 August 2019. Retrieved 24 August 2019.
  162. ↑ "SIIMA Awards 2019: Vijay, Yash, Keerthi, KGF win big, here's full winners list". Deccan Chronicle. Archived from the original on 3 April 2022. Retrieved 16 August 2019.
  163. ↑ "SIIMA Awards 2019: KGF star Yash pulls off a suave look in an all blue attire and wins Best Actor Award". www.pinkvilla.com. Archived from the original on 8 June 2022. Retrieved 1 February 2020.
  164. ↑ "Nominations for the 66th Filmfare Awards (South) 2019". Filmfare. Archived from the original on 12 December 2019. Retrieved 20 December 2019.
  165. ↑ "Why 'KGF' cast and crew will be working double shifts ahead of film's release". The Times of India. Archived from the original on 19 November 2021. Retrieved 9 January 2021.
  166. ↑ "'KGF: Chapter 2' completes 15% of shooting". The Times of India. Archived from the original on 19 November 2021. Retrieved 9 January 2021.
  167. ↑ "Sanjay Dutt roped in for KGF Chapter 2?". The Times of India. Archived from the original on 4 May 2022. Retrieved 9 January 2021.
  168. ↑ "KGF Chapter 2: Raveena Tandon in talks with Yash film?". India Today. 27 February 2019. Archived from the original on 6 September 2019. Retrieved 9 January 2021.
  169. ↑ Shinde, Prajwal (28 March 2019). "KGF 2: Rocking Star Yash and Director Prashant Neel's Film Takes Off". News 18. Archived from the original on 30 August 2023. Retrieved 13 March 2019.
  170. ↑ "KGF: Chapter 2 to hit screens in October?". The Times of India. Archived from the original on 11 March 2020. Retrieved 9 January 2021.
  171. ↑ "Yash, Raveena Tandon and Sanjay Dutt starrer 'KGF: Chapter 2' to hit the theatres on October 23". The Times of India. Archived from the original on 3 October 2020. Retrieved 9 January 2021.
  172. ↑ "KGF 2 trailer not anytime now, say makers". The Times of India. Archived from the original on 5 December 2020. Retrieved 9 January 2021.
  173. ↑ "It's out! Yash's KGF: Chapter 2 to release on July 16, 2021". The Times of India. Archived from the original on 6 November 2021. Retrieved 3 February 2021.
  174. ↑ "Yash's KGF 2 to release on Apr 14, 2022, to clash with Prabhas's Salaar". India Today. Archived from the original on 22 August 2021. Retrieved 22 August 2021.
  175. ↑ "'KGF' success has boosted morale of Kannada film industry: Yash". Business Standard India. 7 March 2019. Archived from the original on 9 February 2022. Retrieved 11 January 2021 – via Business Standard.
  176. ↑ "Tamil director Pa Ranjith appreciates 'KGF' trailer". The Times of India. Archived from the original on 4 May 2022. Retrieved 9 January 2021.
  177. ↑ "Puneeth Rajkumar wishes team 'KGF'". The Times of India. Archived from the original on 4 May 2022. Retrieved 9 January 2021.
  178. ↑ "Shah Rukh Khan congratulates Yash for his upcoming film 'KGF'". The Times of India. Archived from the original on 4 May 2022. Retrieved 9 January 2021.
  179. ↑ "Raveena Tandon appreciates Yash's acting in 'KGF'". The Times of India. Archived from the original on 4 May 2022. Retrieved 9 January 2021.
  180. ↑ "Geetha Govindam actress praises the Yash-starrer KGF". The Times of India. Archived from the original on 4 May 2022. Retrieved 9 January 2021.
  181. ↑ "Ram Gopal Varma congratulates team 'KGF' for the film's success". The Times of India. Archived from the original on 4 May 2022. Retrieved 9 January 2021.
  182. ↑ "When Sumalatha Ambareesh applauded Yash". The Times of India. Archived from the original on 12 April 2022. Retrieved 9 January 2021.
  183. ↑ Upadhyaya, Prakash (20 January 2019). "Thalapathy Vijay gives thumbs-up for Yash's KGF". www.ibtimes.co.in. Archived from the original on 26 January 2021. Retrieved 11 January 2021.
  184. ↑ "Thalapathy Vijay praises KGF team". The Times of India. Archived from the original on 4 May 2022. Retrieved 9 January 2021.
  185. ↑ "Income tax officials raid homes of Kannada film actors and producers". The Times of India. Archived from the original on 4 May 2022. Retrieved 9 January 2021.
  186. ↑ "Income Tax raid on Sandalwood stars continue for the second day". The Times of India. Archived from the original on 4 May 2022. Retrieved 9 January 2021.
  187. ↑ "I-T officials keen to know how much Yash made from KGF?". The Times of India. Archived from the original on 4 May 2022. Retrieved 9 January 2021.
  188. ↑ "'KGF' success has boosted morale of Kannada film industry: Yash". Outlook India. Archived from the original on 22 August 2019. Retrieved 11 January 2021.
  189. ↑ "From Tagaru to KGF: Kannada film industry's 2018 report card". The New Indian Express. Archived from the original on 25 October 2020. Retrieved 11 January 2021.
  190. ↑ R, Shilpa Sebastian (19 December 2019). "2019: The year when Kannada cinema went national". The Hindu. ISSN 0971-751X. Archived from the original on 8 January 2020. Retrieved 11 January 2021.
  191. ↑ Toleti, Siddartha (7 December 2019). "The Sensational Kannada Movie KGF Is The Most Streamed Film Of The Year". Binged. Archived from the original on 13 August 2020. Retrieved 11 January 2021.
  192. ↑ "KGF turns talking point at film festival". Deccan Herald. 28 February 2019. Archived from the original on 8 February 2022. Retrieved 11 January 2021.
  193. ↑ R, Shilpa Sebastian (24 January 2020). "Director Nagathihalli Chandrashekar explains what is unique about Kannada film industry, after KGF". The Hindu. ISSN 0971-751X. Archived from the original on 28 January 2020. Retrieved 11 January 2021.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.