Yash’s Toxic arrived amid enormous expectations, largely riding on the nationwide popularity of the KGF franchise. With four years having passed since KGF 2, anticipation around the new project had reached fever pitch, further boosted by its trailers and songs. Directed by Geetu Mohandas, the film also marks Yash’s involvement as a writer and producer, making it one of the most closely watched projects of his career. However, early audience reactions suggest that the film has struggled to live up to the massive hype surrounding its release.
The film’s long runtime and confusing screenplay have emerged as major talking points among viewers. While the narrative appears ambitious, the lack of a strong emotional core has reportedly made it difficult for audiences to connect with the story. At the same time, several aspects have received praise, including the chemistry between Raya and Nadia, Yash’s performance in two contrasting shades, and the film’s international-scale visuals and production design. Tara Sutaria and Huma Qureshi have also reportedly made an impression, while cinematographer Rajeev Ravi’s work stands out for its visual richness. Ravi Basrur’s background score works effectively in select portions. Despite these positives, the film’s excessive violence and uneven storytelling have led to criticism, with some viewers feeling that the action overwhelms the story.
Amid the mixed-to-negative response, filmmaker Ram Gopal Varma has added another layer to the discussion with a cryptic post on X. Rather than directly mentioning Toxic or Yash, Varma wrote, “Now watching Dhurandhar again.” The seemingly simple statement quickly went viral, with social media users interpreting it as a sarcastic way of expressing his opinion about Toxic. By saying he had returned to Dhurandhar, instead of explicitly reviewing Yash’s film, Varma appears to have let the comparison speak for itself. The post has triggered plenty of reactions online, with netizens debating whether the filmmaker’s remark was his indirect verdict on Toxic.
