Naveen Kumar Gowda (born 8 January 1986), better known by his stage name Yash, is an Indian actor who works in Kannada films. He is the recipient of three Filmfare Awards South.
Yash began his career with appearances in several television series in the 2000s. He made his film debut in 2007 with Jambada Hudugi. The 2008 romantic drama Moggina Manasu, for which he received the Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actor, proved to be a breakthrough for Yash. His first film in a leading role, Rocky (2008), was poorly received critically and a box office flop. He followed it up with a series of romance films that were commercial successes, and received his first Filmfare Award for Best Actor nomination for Drama in 2012.
Yash went on to establish himself as a leading actor of Kannada cinema with the college romance Googly (2013), comedy-drama Raja Huli (2013), fantasy action Gajakesari (2014), romantic comedy Mr. and Mrs. Ramachari (2014), action film Masterpiece (2015) and action romance Santhu Straight Forward (2016). Mr. and Mrs. Ramachari ranks among the highest-grossing Kannada releases and gave Yash his first Filmfare Award for Best Actor. The pan-India success of Prashanth Neel's 2018 period action film K.G.F: Chapter 1, which became the highest-grossing Kannada film, helped Yash attain nationwide recognition in India and win his second Filmfare Award for Best Actor. He won further praise for his performance in the sequel, K.G.F: Chapter 2 (2022), which ranks as the fourth highest-grossing Indian film.
Yash promotes various social and philanthropic causes through the YashoMarga Foundation. He is married to the actress Radhika Pandit.
Early life and television roles
Yash was born on 8 January 1986 in Boovanahalli, a village in Hassan, Karnataka. He was given two names: Naveen legally, and his mother's side of the family named him Yashwanth. Yashwanth was chosen as they believed his time of birth astrologically necessitated a name beginning with the letter ಯ (ya). In keeping with a Hindu tradition of giving children a deity's epithet, Yash was described as Nanjundeshwara ("poison-drinker god", referring to Shiva). Before starting his acting career, he was advised by others in the industry to adopt a stage name. Desiring to stand out with a name that was unique for an actor in Karnataka, he shortened Yashwanth to Yash.
Yash's father, Arun Kumar Gowda, was a driver for the Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation and later the Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Corporation. His mother, Pushpa, is a homemaker. He has a younger sister, Nandini, who is married to a computer engineer. Yash aspired to be an actor from a young age and actively participated in theatre and dance competitions at his school in Mysore. When he was young, his family also ran a provision store, where he would help out regularly. Yash wanted to quit school and pursue full-time acting after completing grade 10 but had to complete senior school on the demand of his parents. He studied at the Mahajana Education Society for all his school years. His parents initially disapproved of his acting ambitions, and his father wanted him to be a government officer. In 2003, they relented and allowed him to move to Bangalore at the age of 16 to work on a film as an assistant director, but stated that he would not be allowed to go back if he returned. The project was cancelled after only two days of filming, but Yash decided to stay back in Bangalore. He has stated he had ₹300 (equivalent to ₹940 or US$12 in 2020) with him at the time. He joined a theatre group, the Benaka drama troupe, which was formed by dramatist B. V. Karanth. He worked as a backstage worker and was paid ₹50 (63¢ US) per day.
Yash eventually became a backup actor, and in 2004, portrayed Balarama in the lead role for a play. While still working in theatre, he completed his Bachelor of Arts at Bangalore's K.L.E. College, with psychology and journalism among optional subjects. He made his television debut the same year with the teleserial Uttarayana. In 2005, he was offered a role in the teleserial Nanda Gokula, where he starred alongside Radhika Pandit. He went on to appear in several other teleserials such as T. N. Seetharam's Male Billu and Preeti Illada Mele. Once Yash had secured a stable income, his parents moved in with him to Bangalore. During this time, he was offered roles in seven films, but his insistence on having the script for each film made available to him was viewed as "arrogance from a newcomer" and often refused.
