Yash defends Toxic backlash: ‘There is a voice for women, unlike in the trailer’

Dubai: Yash has answered the criticism trailing Toxic head on, telling several thousand students at the film’s pre-release event in Hyderabad on Saturday that the trailer has misrepresented what the film actually does with its women, and that the answer lies in the theatre rather than in a promo.

Speaking at Malla Reddy University four days before release, the actor opened with, ‘Art should push you to the darkest corners’ “Toxic is bold. Toxic is original. Toxic is ambitious. Toxic is path-breaking. Toxic will blow your mind,” he told the crowd.

He then made the case for the film as something other than spectacle. “Beyond that, it’s a movie which is very deep. Psychologically, what I believe is, art should always push you to the darkest corners and make you ask those uncomfortable questions about human relationships and what we go through psychologically in life. So it’s a great film which will speak to you on a personal level also.”

Turning to the women in the crowd

From there, Yash addressed the row directly, starting with the person who made the film. “This film’s director is also a woman. For us men, to achieve something in life, it is one level of effort. For women, it is double the effort. Society may not accept it. But the point is, everybody will look down upon you. They will say, it is women, what will they do.” The point was personal as well as political, and he tied it to the decision that has defined his last four years.

“After KGF, I heard people saying, ‘Which big director or commercial formula will Yash go with next?’ No. I already have enough money. I am not respected for my money. I am respected for my work,” he said, making clear that choosing Geetu Mohandas over a safer commercial name was a deliberate call rather than an accident of scheduling. Then came the line the room had been waiting for.

“And the director will prove that every girl, every woman can face every kind of situation and express their thoughts, express their vision and succeed in this society. There is a voice for women in this film, unlike how it is coming across in the trailer. Watch the movie and enjoy. All you girls, you will have a blast, amazing experience.”

Weeks of debate behind the remarks

The comments land after a sustained online argument over the film’s trailers and the song Tabaahi, which drew criticism for its intimate content and for what many viewers read as a regressive treatment of its female characters. The A certificate from the CBFC and the film’s own framing as a fairy tale for grown-ups had already turned Toxic into a lightning rod for a much larger conversation about how mainstream Indian cinema looks at women.

Mohandas missed her own party

The director was not in Hyderabad. Several cast members noted her absence and explained that she was still finishing post-production ahead of Wednesday’s release. Her actors spoke for her instead. Kiara Advani handed her the entire credit for Nadia: “If it was not for Geetu, I don’t think we would have been able to bring this to life. She saw it in me and really gave me wings to fly.”

Working on the film, said Huma Qureshi, had meant “being part of history”.

Toxic: A Fairy Tale for Grown-Ups opens worldwide on 25 August, in Kannada, English, Telugu, Tamil, Hindi and Malayalam. It is produced by Venkat K. Narayana and Yash under KVN Productions and Monster Mind Creations. UAE audiences can catch it from the same day, with VOX Cinemas listing the film in Kannada, Hindi and Tamil with Arabic and English subtitles. Advance sales in India have crossed roughly Rs 22 crore including blocked seats, with more than 3.3 lakh tickets already gone for opening day.