Yash began his career with appearances in several television series in the 2000s. He made his film debut in 2007 with Jambada Hudugi. The 2008 romantic drama Moggina Manasu, for which he received the Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actor, proved to be a breakthrough role for Yash. His first film in a leading role, Rocky (2008), was poorly received and a box office flop. He followed it up with a series of romance films that were commercial successes and received his first Filmfare Award for Best Actor nomination for Drama in 2012.