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Jason Shah criticises Yash's Toxic teaser, violence in Ranveer Singh's Dhurandhar: ‘Innocence of movies is lost’

Actor Jason Shah criticised modern cinema's loss of innocence, discussing the influence of religion and politics.

Published on: Feb 4, 2026, 07:46:04 IST
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British actor Jason Shah, who impressed audiences with his performance in Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s Heeramandi, is all set to feature in Vijay’s Jana Nayagan. In an interview with Screen, the actor spoke about how films have “lost their innocence” and criticised Ranveer Singh’s Dhurandhar and Yash’s Toxic teaser.

Jason Shah criticises Toxic teaser, violence in Dhurandhar

Jason Shah talked about Yash's Toxic teaser and violence in Dhurandhar.
Jason Shah talked about Yash's Toxic teaser and violence in Dhurandhar.

Jason shared his views on how religion and politics influence cinema today. He said, “Religion and politics have had a heavy play on movies, not just in India but also around the world. You see all the subliminal messages that are being put into movies — it’s because times have changed. Cinema has been an art form that speaks to people, it connects to them, so if films don’t evolve, people may lose interest. However, I feel the innocence of movies is lost. Would everyone go to watch Partner today? I don’t think so. People want to see so much violence. I was seeing the teaser of Toxic, which shows where our minds have evolved to as producers.”

He also criticised people enjoying violence in Dhurandhar and said, “I was shocked to see people enjoy the violence in Dhurandhar. Parents took their young children to watch the film. But again, Dhurandhar was related to politics; it was a story about something that happened in India, a very serious subject, and people like to see other people’s opinions on what they have created on this subject.”

About Dhurandhar and Yash’s Toxic

Yash’s Toxic: A Fairytale for Grown-Ups is also set to release on the same day. The film received backlash over a graphic scene in the teaser, with many criticising the makers for pandering to the male gaze. The female actor featured in the teaser, Beatriz Taufenbach, was reportedly forced to delete her social media following the backlash. The film also stars Nayanthara, Tara Sutaria, Rukmini Vasanth, Huma Qureshi and Kiara Advani in key roles.

 
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Riya Sharma

Riya Sharma is a content producer at Hindustan Times who lives and breathes entertainment. If there’s gossip making noise in Bollywood or a reality show moment breaking the internet, chances are she’s already writing about it. She loves digging out the juiciest stories, spotting viral pegs and turning it into easy-to-read content. A journalism graduate from IP University, Riya began her career as a social media executive, where she learned the art of grabbing attention in a scroll-heavy world. But her love for showbiz soon pulled her into entertainment journalism, because for her, it’s always been entertainment, entertainment and more entertainment. An artist at heart, Riya has a deep passion for acting, music and dance, which shapes how she watches and writes about films and reality shows. She loves sharing her views and reviews, especially when something excites, surprises or completely disappoints her. A hardcore reality show fan, Riya enjoys tracking every twist, task and meltdown, and breaking them down for readers who can’t get enough of high-voltage drama. Movies are equally close to her heart, whether it’s a big theatrical release or a binge-worthy OTT series, she’s always watching, and analysing what’s worth the time. She loves talking to celebrities, asking questions that go beyond the usual. When she’s not working, she’s either glued to a new web series, hunting for underrated thrillers on OTT platforms, or rewatching iconic Bollywood moments.

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