Yash’s much-awaited action drama Toxic: A Fairy Tale for Grown-Ups has arrived in theatres on August 26, marking the actor’s return to the big screen after a four-year gap. Directed by Geetu Mohandas and co-written by Mohandas and Yash, the film is set against the criminal underworld of 1950s Goa and follows a dark, violent revenge-driven narrative.
The film features Yash in a dual role and has an ensemble cast that includes Kiara Advani, Nayanthara, Tara Sutaria, Rukmini Vasanth and Huma Qureshi. The movie has been presented as a period gangster drama with a strong focus on action and crime.
The release has generated considerable excitement among Yash’s fans. Large crowds gathered outside theatres for early morning shows, with several fans arriving in customised T-shirts, carrying banners and cut-outs of the actor. Celebrations included music, fireworks and slogans as audiences marked Yash’s return to cinemas.
The film has also recorded strong advance sales. More than 1.5 million tickets were sold for its first day in India, generating around ₹49 crore in advance bookings, including approximately ₹28 crore from the Hindi version. The strong demand has contributed to packed shows across several locations.
However, the initial audience response has been mixed. While Yash’s screen presence, the film’s technical presentation and action sequences have received appreciation from some viewers, others have criticised the screenplay, editing and overall narrative structure. Several early reactions have described the writing as confusing and the execution as uneven.
Toxic received an A certificate from the Central Board of Film Certification, with no cuts and two modifications. The film had previously attracted attention because of the intense violence and sexual content shown in its promotional material.
The movie was originally scheduled for an earlier release but underwent multiple postponements before finally arriving in theatres on August 26. It has been released in Kannada and English, with versions also available in Hindi, Tamil and Telugu, giving the film a broad pan-India reach.
With strong audience turnout despite divided early reactions, the film’s performance at the box office will now depend on how its reception develops over the coming days.