K.G.F: Chapter 1

K.G.F: Chapter 1 is a 2018 Indian Kannada-language period action film^[6][7] written and directed by Prashanth Neel, and produced by Vijay Kiragandur under the banner Hombale films. It is the first instalment in the two-part series, followed by K.G.F: Chapter 2. The film centres around Raja Krishnappa Bairya "Rocky", born into poverty, who arrives in Bombay (now Mumbai) in the 1960s, on a quest for power and wealth as desired by his dying mother. Involved with the gold mafia there, he is recruited to kill Garuda, the oppressive heir-in-waiting, in Kolar Gold Fields. Yash stars as Rocky, while debutante Ramachandra Raju features as Garuda. Anant Nag narrates the film while also playing a supporting role alongside Srinidhi Shetty, Vasishta N. Simha, Ayyappa P. Sharma and Harish Rai. At the 66th National Film Awards, the film won 2 awards for Best Action and Best Special Effects.^[8]

The development of the film began in early 2015 when Neel completed writing the screenplay.^[9] However, filming began only two years later, in March 2017.^[10] Majority of the film is set in Kolar Gold Fields and was filmed on location.^[11] Bhuvan Gowda served as the cinematographer and Shrikanth as the editor. Ravi Basrur scored music for the soundtrack and the film's background.^[12]

Ingalagi narrates that ore of gold was discovered by commissioned government officials in the southern part of India's Mysore State (in present-day Kolar district, Karnataka) in 1951. Raja Krishnappa "Rocky" Bairya is also born on the day of the discovery in the Mysore region, to a poor and widowed woman. Suryavardhan, a local don who accompanied the officials, kills them. Discerning the increasing demand for gold by the Cold War belligerents, Suryavardhan deceitfully sets up a company, Narachi, in that land, bought for a lease of 99 years under the pretext of mining limestone. He has five associates, all of who operate away from KGF: Kamal, the son of a former associate Bharghav; Rajendra Desai, the father of Reena, Andrews, who oversees operations in the Konkan and Malabar Coasts; Guru Pandian, a powerful politician and president of the DYSS party; and brother Adheera. However, each of them has their eyes on the mines. Andrews' underboss Shetty is a gold smuggler in Bombay, the city that also has another smuggler, Dubai-based Inayat Khalil's eyes set on.

Rocky arrives in Bombay as a ten-year-old on a quest for power and wealth as desired by his dying mother and begins to work for Shetty. He becomes Shetty's right-hand man later and oversees the arrival of gold bars from Africa to the Bombay coast with an iron fist. Rocky soon rises in strength and power rivalling that of Shetty's. This attracts Andrews who offers him Bombay in return for assassinating Garuda, the younger son of Suryavardhan, who is to inherit KGF after his paralysed father's passing. Rocky accepts the offer and heads to Bangalore where an event is staged for the purpose. Once there, he witnesses the sheer presence, authority and power that Garuda commands and has the attempt averted.