Toxic review: A fairy-tale for grown-up b@stards
There was potential in this complex relationship saga, but Yash believes more in the language of violence, which is now getting very toxic. Kiara Advani, though, shines in her traumatic character.
Rating: 
(1. 5 / 5)
By Mayur Lookhar
Toxic: A Fairy Tale for Grown-Ups (2026). The title of the Kannada film was enough to suggest that if you’re one who gets easily emotionally triggered, then this Toxic tale isn’t for you. The opening disclaimer reiterates that this is purely a work of fiction. Yash’s VO in the opening sequence, though, hits like a disclaimer too, wherein it appears to carry the rage, the pain of a bastard. So, maybe, Toxic is likely to appeal more to grown-up bastards than just your normal grown-ups.
The father-son equation, though, is one of the many complex relationships that our protagonist has in the film. This Toxic tale, the brainchild of Yash, is co-written by his director Geetu Mohandas. Like the KGF franchise, this one, too, is a period drama.
Toxic is set in Goa in the period from 1947 to the late ’60s. Remember, the state was under Portuguese rule till 1961. Freedom, India, or Portugal – none of this mattered to the have-nots, who simply looked to survive.
Story
Siblings Raya and Ganga never knew their father, raised on the dirty streets of Goa, with the children witnessing their mother’s death in front of their eyes. Their fate took them to Goa’s dark world of drugs, and later casinos, where Raya (Yash) would go on to become the crime lord of the region. He marries his boss’s daughter but soon finds true love in the arms of Nadia (Kiara Advani), a circus artiste. Where bullets fail, often it’s love that leads to destruction. Fate sets them apart, but the past comes back to haunt Raya, with his bastard son now baying for his blood.
Screenplay & Direction
How do you sum up the mess in this? Though primarily a brutal action drama, Toxic is essentially a tale of complex relationships. It begins first with Raya’s equation with his elder, near-mother-like sister Ganga (Nayanthara). He’s indebted to her for his life, and would never question her judgment. Then Rebecca (Tara Sutaria) comes into his life. This relationship is formed initially by lust and eventually turns into a business obligation. It’s Nadia, though, whom Raya is emotionally attached to. Although, quite a few of their meet-ups are more about lust than companionship. She isn’t the last woman in Raya’s life.
What does one make of Raya? Well, in the eyes of Nadia, he isn’t a bad man, but he is very toxic. Without throwing around morals, a passionate affair with a toxic married man is an invitation for trouble.
Well, the moral police will be up in arms, crying that this is a glorification, a justification of toxic relationships. To be fair to Geetu Mohandas and Yash, their film does question infidelity. “There’s a price to pay for every action,” cautions Ganga. And this holds true not just for Raya, but for all the toxic characters in this film.
There was potential in this complex relationship saga, but Yash believes more in the language of violence, which is now getting very toxic. Well, in KGF, Rocky Bhai said, “I don’t like violence, but violence likes me.” Toxic Raya doesn’t hesitate in saying that violence is the language that’s easily understood. Save for about 30 minutes before the interval, and the expected family drama in the business end, the rest of the film is simply a myriad of violent action and toxic drama. The average Hindi dialogues, and the poor dubbing by Yash, compound the problem. The second half of this 194-minute film feels exhausting, with director Geetu Mohandas losing grip on both the screenplay and direction
Acting
The KGF franchise changed not just Yash’s fortune, but it’s also responsible for bringing in a wave of unabashedly violent, expansive action dramas. Following the gigantic success of KGF, Yash now perhaps felt compelled to live up to the Rocky Bhai image. Toxic feels like just an extension of the Yash brand of no-holds-barred action drama, where violence takes precedence over acting. Toxic throws up a traumatized Yash, in a double role, but it needed more conviction. When not firing or butchering people, Yash largely has a wooden expression. Such cinema has seldom been about finesse, and more about machismo, which Yash has in plenty. However, what will be Yash’s legacy? That of a bearded man constantly smoking, or firing on all cylinders? From the two KGF films to Toxic, brand Yash can best be described as Max, Pro Max, and now Ultra. Well, there are two versions of Yash in Toxic. In terms of physicality, maybe Raya is like Ultra, whereas his beardless son is a Fan Edition. Both, though, are high on testosterone. It works with his legion of fans and at the box office, but shows little growth as an actor. Hopefully, Ramayana will prove us wrong.
Nayanthara is credited for a special appearance, but it’s the Ganga-Raya sibling bond that intrigues the most. Is the sister responsible for the monster in Raya? Ah, well, what do you expect from a ‘Monster Mind’ creation? She may not be a killer, but it’s Ganga who controls power through her silent actions – unemotional but calculative, and one with a vision. Well, having led an extremely tough childhood, Ganga has learnt not just to survive but thrive in this big, bad world of Geetu Mohandas.
Kiara Advani, too, has limited screen time, but leaves an indelible mark on you. The opening scenes reveal her as this traumatized circus artiste, who perhaps even scares her child. Her tone, her scream – this is a Kiara we’ve never seen before. The backstory gives an insight into this circus artist, one who truly lived up to the hype around Royale Circus. This Nadia doesn’t fly, but she floats like a mermaid in her aquatic act. In this world, there is little room for a moral code, but Nadia makes Raya earn her love. Advani moves you with Nadia’s love, despair, and desolation.
Huma Qureshi is another artiste limited by the screen time, but brilliantly haunts you with her evil laugh. Tara Sutaria, too, makes a rare, decent impression. All the established female artistes play their limited parts finely, but as this Toxic fairy tale progresses, it’s Rukmini Vasanth who emerges as the female protagonist. Sadly, the brilliant young actor has to bear the brunt of shoddy writing, reducing her character Melissa to simply going through the motions. It’s not stereotyping the Southern ladies, but somehow the Goan look and the excessively stylized clothing just don’t come naturally to Vasanth and Nayanthara.
Music / Technical Aspects
There’s likely to be consensus on Toxic’s production values, in particular Rajeev Ravi’s rich, immersive cinematography, brutal but exhilarating action, and the production design. One, however, is intrigued by seeing snow in Goa. Well, bloodied action scenes in ice-clad regions often carry a strong visual appeal. However, seeing a child exposed to grotesque action, or women being sliced, hacked, chopped, shot through the mouth, doesn’t make for great viewing. Another example of the lenient Central Board of Film Certification. Despite early concern that the film might push boundaries too far, its intimate scenes are kept brief and tasteful, ensuring the narrative remains bold without ever feeling vulgar. The (dubbed) Hindi music is largely a distraction, but Waqt and Madhosh grab your attention.
Final Thoughts
After a rough beginning, Toxic briefly engages you with its complex relationships, but the over-reliance on violent action proves too toxic for the film’s own good. This is a film that was delayed a couple of times, with Yash and his co-producer KVN citing that this was done to keep the film’s global interest in mind. After all that, what do we get, though, is another brutal Indian action drama. Clearly, more than the West, it’s Korean influence that seems to be driving this incessant wave of Indian action dramas, especially from down South. Well, having tasted blood with KGF, loyal fans are now habituated to the rage and havoc that Yash creates on the silver screen. Though toxic, it’s here to stay.
Video review below.
