Actor Yogesh, popularly known as Loose Maada Yogi, is stepping into a landmark phase of his career as he gears up for his 50th film, King. The title was officially unveiled by none other than Shivrajkumar, while fans celebrated the occasion by conferring a new title on Yogi — Sultan of Karunadu.
Yogi, who entered the Kannada film industry as a villain with Duniya, has completed 19 years in cinema. Over time, he has carved a space for himself as a versatile performer, and King, directed by Jack, marks a major personal and professional milestone.
Speaking to Cinema Express, Yogi revealed that the project took shape after extensive discussions with the director. “When Jack came to me with King, he brought a lot of ideas and material. I told him that the title had to be earned. He asked me to trust his vision, and that conviction led to the film finally taking shape. We are set to begin shooting soon,” he said.
Addressing comparisons with Shah Rukh Khan’s upcoming film with the same title, Yogi said the similarity ends with the name. “He is an amazing star, and I have grown up watching classics like Darr and Baazigar. But our story demanded the title King on its own merit,” he added, expressing happiness that Shivrajkumar unveiled the title. “It felt like a King launching King,” he remarked.
Shivrajkumar, speaking at the launch, described the film as not just action-driven but also emotionally layered, adding that he has always admired Yogi’s growth as an actor.
For Yogi, King signals a fresh phase. He said he has learned from past setbacks and will appear in a completely new look. Mounted on a large scale, the film will be shot across Mangaluru, Mysuru, and Chennai, and will be released in Kannada, Tamil, and Telugu.
Actor Pratap Narayan will play a tough police officer, while music is composed by Shashank Sheshagiri. The project is jointly produced by Mahender, Siddhesh, Santosh Basavaraj, Vishal Prasad, and Mallikarjun Swamy.
As of now, Yogi will next be seen in Rosy, directed by Shoonya. He is also part of Anna from Mexico alongside Dhananjay, and Bail, starring Shivrajkumar, which are at different stages of production.