‘Earn together, lose together’: Yash on charging Rs 50 cr and his profit-sharing model

Yash is one of the highest paid actors in India today. That’s not only because he charges over Rs 50 crore per movie, as per rumours, but because he earns much more — on a profit-sharing model. The Toxic actor recently opened up on how while he’s taken the profit sharing route for years, it’s worked in his favour because the audience lapped up his gangster franchise KGF, two parts of which have collectively amassed almost Rs 1500 crore at the worldwide box office.

Yash on his profit-sharing model

Yash argued that producers won’t pay him as much money for every film, if his market value didn’t dictate that. “I never clarified it because I’ve always worked as a producer. I don’t ask for my fee upfront and then leave the producer to their own devices. I have been working in partnership for years, even before KGF,” revealed the actor.

“I believe I should invest my own money, take risk, and work hard, and if the audience loves the film, then I’ll get my compensation. I’ve never thought of it as an actor. The only principle I have is that we earn money together and lose money together. Luckily, the audience has been kind. I’ve never clarified how much money I get. You can gauge it from the amount of tax I pay,” added Yash on Aap Ki Adalat.

He also recalled that KGF: Chapter 1, which though the most expensive Kannada film ever made till 2018, had a relatively “very small” budget of around Rs 80 crore, as compared to the budgets of his films today. For instance, his next release, Geethu Mohandas’ action thriller Toxic: A Fairytale for Grownups, was made on a budget of over Rs 500 crore, thus almost seven times that of KGF: Chapter 1.

“So, KGF: Chapter 1 a very profitable film,” pointed out Yash. “I’ve always believed that your haters become your fans eventually if you work in the right way. I only work for the audience because they’re not biased. It’s not that my lifestyle has changed ever since I began earning more money. In fact, I’m working even more because I feel responsible towards my audience,” he added.

When Yash said no to seven films

Yash made his acting debut in television before his big leap into films. He began his journey with the 2003 Kannada sitcom Silli Lalli. After doing four more years of television, he finally made his film debut with Priya Hassan’s 2007 romantic drama Jambada Hudugi. But Yash recently admitted that he passed on seven films back then because the makers didn’t furnish him a script.

“Is that a crime?,” he asked, adding, “There’s always that pattern of doing something a particular way. How will that work? If I have to act, I have to enjoy the role. If I only don’t enjoy it, how would I show it to my audience? At least I have to be honest to myself. Whether they like it or not is a separate matter. I need to believe in it and give my all to it. There were makers who would say why I ask for a script, but I don’t know where they are now.”

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Yash’s breakthrough happened eight years ago with KGF: Chapter 1, which he did on profit sharing with Hombale Films. His next release, Toxic, is also on profit sharing with K Venkat Narayana’s KVN Productions. The actor’s production house, Monster Mind Creations, is even co-producing Nitesh Tiwari’s two-part adaptation of the Indian epic Ramayana, along with Namit Malhotra’s Prime Focus.