As Kannada superstar Yash prepares for the theatrical release of his upcoming gangster drama Toxic: A Fairy Tale for Grown-Ups, the actor opened up about a tragic episode involving a fan. He also explained why he made the deliberate choice to stay away from the fan’s funeral.
Speaking during an appearance on the television show Aap Ki Adalat, the KGF star addressed the February 2021 incident in which Ramakrishna, a 25-year-old resident of Kodidoddi village in Karnataka’s Mandya district, died by suicide. In a note left behind, the youth had expressed a final wish that Yash and politician Siddaramaiah attend his funeral. While Siddaramaiah attended, Yash chose not to go.
“What Will Happen After He Has Died?”
Reflecting on the painful episode, Yash shared that while the incident left him deeply saddened, attending the funeral would have sent an unhealthy signal to his wider fanbase.
“I felt that if I did this, a lot of people might think that if they do something like this, I will come. That mindset itself is wrong. What will happen if I go to his funeral after he has died? And if I encourage that, it is not right,” Yash explained during the interview.
He added: “I was sad about his death, I felt bad. But if I go and do this, a lot of people could do the same thing. If somebody says, ‘Let me achieve something and if I achieve it, Yash should come,’ I will try to go. If somebody achieves something and asks me to be there, I will try to go if I can. But encouraging this particular thing would set a wrong precedent.”
Preference for Positive Fan Connections
The actor, who is known for making extra efforts to interact with his supporters—including spending hours posing for individual photographs with nearly 700 fans at a single event in Bengaluru—emphasized that idolization should drive people to achieve success. According to him, idolization should not lead fans to take drastic steps.
At the time of the tragedy in 2021, Yash had publicly expressed his grief on social media. He urged fans not to take extreme steps in his name. He also stated that actors live for the love, whistles, and applause of live audiences, not tragic sacrifices.
On the Professional Front
Yash is set to return to the big screen with Toxic: A Fairy Tale for Grown-Ups, directed by National Award-winning filmmaker Geetu Mohandas. Co-starring Kiara Advani, Nayanthara, Huma Qureshi, and Tara Sutaria, the film is scheduled for a worldwide theatrical release on August 26, 2026.
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