K.G.F: Chapter 1 is a 2018 Indian Kannada-language period action movie. It was written and directed by Prashanth Neel, and produced by Vijay Kiragandur under the banner of Hombale Films.
It is the first installment in the two-part series, followed by K.G.F: Chapter 2. The film features Yash as Rocky, the lead role, while debutante Ramachandra Raju features as Garuda. Anant Nag narrates the film, while Srinidhi Shetty, Vasishta N. Simha, Achyuth Kumar, and Malavika Avinash appear in supporting roles.
Budget
The film was made on a budget of ₹80 crore, making it the most expensive Kannada-language film at its time of release.
Main character
The film focuses on Rocky, who lives in poverty, but grows up to be a high-ranking gangster in Mumbai. Later, reformed, he poses as a slave-laborer in the Narachi Company (Kolar Gold Fields), aiming to assassinate the cult's future heir, Garuda.
Development
The film's development began in early 2015, after Neel finished writing the screenplay. Filming began two years later, on 15 January 2017. Most of the film is set in the Kolar Gold Fields and was filmed in locales such as Kolar, Mysore, and parts of North Karnataka. The film's production was completed on 17 August 2018. Bhuvan Gowda handled the cinematography and Srikanth Gowda edited the film. Composer Ravi Basrur scored the film.
Other versions
After a North American premiere on 20 December 2018, a Kannada version of K.G.F: Chapter 1 was released, and Telugu, Tamil, Malayalam and Hindi-dubbed versions followed the next day. They received positive response from audiences. However, critics gave the film mixed reviews. The film performed well commercially and collected in its entire theatrical run. This broke the record for the highest grossing Kannada film of all time.
Awards
At the 66th National Film Awards, the film won two awards for Best Action and Best Special Effects. At the 66th Filmfare Awards South, the film won two awards from five nominations. This includes the award for Best Film and Best Actor for Yash.