Mumbai: Even as a section of social media continues to troll Kiara Advani over her bold scenes in Toxic: A Fairytale for Grown-Ups, the actor says her character, Nadia, is the kind of role every performer hopes to land.
Opening up about the film, Kiara described Nadia as a deeply layered character with a wide emotional range, saying the role gave her the opportunity to explore emotions she had never portrayed on screen before. She credited director Geetu Mohandas for creating a character that was both emotionally demanding and creatively fulfilling.
Calling Nadia “every actor’s dream role,” Kiara said the character had “all the meat” an actor looks for in a script. From strength and vulnerability to unpredictability and emotional intensity, she explained that the role challenged her in ways she hadn’t experienced in her career so far.
Her comments come at a time when Toxic has been making headlines for more than just its scale. After the release of the film’s song Tabaahi, Kiara found herself at the centre of online criticism, with some users targeting her for the film’s intimate scenes with co-star Yash. While the criticism gained traction on social media, many fans came out in her support, arguing that actors should not be judged for portraying fictional characters.
The backlash also drew a response from British actor Benedict Garrett, who appears in Toxic. Defending Kiara, Garrett criticised the trolling and said actors are simply doing their jobs by bringing characters to life. He also questioned the double standards that often see female actors facing harsher scrutiny than their male counterparts for similar on-screen performances.
Kiara also spoke about the importance of well written female characters, saying audiences today connect with women who are layered, flawed and authentic rather than one dimensional stereotypes. She added that working alongside Nayanthara, Huma Qureshi, Tara Sutaria and Rukmini Vasanth made the experience even more rewarding, as each actor brought a distinct presence to the story.
Adding to the buzz, the makers recently unveiled a new poster featuring Kiara as Nadia on the occasion of her birthday, offering fans another glimpse of her character ahead of the film’s release.
Directed by Geetu Mohandas and headlined by Yash, Toxic: A Fairytale for Grown-Ups is scheduled to hit theatres worldwide on August 26, 2026. With anticipation continuing to build, Kiara’s portrayal of Nadia has become one of the film’s biggest talking points both for the praise surrounding the character and the conversations it has sparked online.
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