How A Bus Driver From Became KGF's Rocky Bhai With Estimated Net Worth Of Over Rs 50 Cr

New Delhi: The name Naveen Kumar Gowda doesn't ring a bell, right? Born on January 8, 1986, in Hassan, Karnataka - Naveen became Yash after he dreamed of being a movie star. At the age of three, he zealously pretended to be a policeman at his school's fancy-dress competition, according to Forbes India. This is one of his first memories. The audience applauded him and hailed him as a hero.

FROM BUS DRIVER TO BIGGEST PAN-INDIAN STAR

His ambition grew with age, but his family didn’t share his vision.  His father, Arun Kumar, was a bus driver for the Bengaluru Metropolitan Transport Corporation before moving on to the Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation. He wanted his son to follow in his footsteps and obtain a stable position in the public sector, as many Indian fathers do.

YASH'S RISE AS ROCKY BHAI 

The young Naveen Kumar Gowda, however, had different ideas. When he turned 16, he demanded permission to leave for the large city in order to pursue his opportunity. He then boarded a bus and travelled to Bengaluru, the centre of the Kannada film industry. In 2003, Gowda was hired as an unpaid assistant director on a movie, but the endeavour was abandoned after just two days. He then became a backstage assistant in a theatre company before being elevated to stand-in actor. His first television soap operas, Uttarayana and Nanda Gokula, were secured by him a year later.

Yash then headlined several more blockbusters, including Googly, Gaja Kesari, Mr and Mrs Ramachari, Masterpiece and Santhu Straight Forward. But the success he had enjoyed to that point was nothing compared to what was to come. When the two KGF movies (Chapters 1 and 2), directed by Prashanth Neel came his way, Yash was in for unprecedented nationwide and international fame, starting in 2018.

Through his Yashomarga Foundation, which focuses on water conservation and water rejuvenation in nearby villages, Yash is also a committed philanthropist. Despite Yash's enormous renown, Arun Kumar, his father, supposedly still drives buses.

YASH'S NET WORTH

According to a Pinkvilla report, Yash is one of the highest-paid actors in the South film industry. He has a fancy car collection of Range Rover Evoque, a Mercedes GLC 250D reportedly. He allegedly charges around Rs 60 lakh for brand endorsements. 

According to CAKnowledge.com report, Yash's estimated net worth is about Rs 53 crore.