'Son of KSRTC bus driver; efforts ongoing to kill his career'; Actor Yash's mother responds to critics

Toxic: A Fairy Tale for Grown-Ups starring Kannada superstar Yash is in theatres. The movie couldn't live up to its hype and left the majority of its viewers disappointed. Amid the negative response from many quarters, Yash’s mother Pushpa Arun Kumar had to come in defence of her son. Her response and veiled attack against industry heavyweights are now going viral on social media.

Though Pushpa didn’t name the person, her veiled comments were purportedly directed at popular producer Allu Aravind. A comment made by Allu Aravind in 2023 asking “Who was Yash before KGF” resurfaced following the hate received for the movie Toxic.

Pushpa admitted that Yash’s career graph elevated following the success of KGF, but said it would not take away the fact that the star had contributed success to the industry in pre KGF times with movies like Googly, Drama, Mr and Mrs Ramachari, Gajakesari and Santhu Straight Forward.

“He never had any connections nor any godfather in the cinema industry. He is the son of Arun Kumar, a former KSRTC bus driver. His mother is a homemaker. Yash started with television before going into mainstream movies. It was his hard work that made him what he is today.

We have struggled in life to achieve whatever success we have now. We didn’t fear anyone back then during our tough times, and the same remains even now. To those making comments like “Who was Yash before KGF”, let me remind you that I can talk back in the language you understand, but I’m showing restraint.

There is a hate campaign against the movie Toxic, and concerted efforts from some people to kill my son’s career. As long as Yash receives the love from the audience, no one is going to stop him,” said Pushpa.

Allu Aravind’s comments on Yash came in 2023 while discussing the impact of actor remuneration and big-budget movies of South India.