Kabzaa director R Chandru urges Kannadigas to appreciate and stand with Yash and Toxic amid criticism

Geetu Mohandas and Yash's Toxic has mostly faced criticism since its release on Wednesday. Filmmaker R Chandru spoke up in its support.

Geetu Mohandas and Yash’s Toxic: A Fairy Tale for Grown-Ups was released in theatres on Wednesday to lukewarm response. The film performed well at the box office on its opening day, but that seems to have changed today. Amid trolling, memes and negative reviews, filmmaker R Chandru spoke up in support of Yash and the film. He also urged Kannadigas to stand in support. (Also Read: Toxic movie review: Yash's film is a soulless nightmare, a sensory overload that tests your patience)

Yash plays dual roles as Raya and Ticket in Geetu Mohandas' Toxic.

Kabzaa director asks Kannadigas to appreciate Yash, Toxic

On Thursday, a day after Toxic’s release, Chandru took to his X (formerly Twitter) account to post about Toxic. He wrote in Kannada, “Dear Yash...TOXIC - This is not just a movie. It is an attempt by a Kannadiga to conquer the world. So every Kannadiga should appreciate this and stand with it...Well done for your effort…”

However, fans seemed to disagree with him. “Sir kabza >>>>> Toxic. When is kabza 2 releasing?” read one comment. “Kabzaa re release madi sir instead advising to watch this movie,” wrote another. One thought, “It's looks like saying, welcome to the club.” An X user sarcastically wrote, “One hollywood director praising another hollywood movie.” One fan pointed out, “Hope KFI stop this Pan india bulls**t and entertain our kannadigas first.”

Deep Dive

What is the main theme of the film Toxic starring Yash?

Why is R Chandru urging Kannadigas to support Yash and the film Toxic?

How has the audience reacted to the film Toxic since its release?

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The filmmaker had last directed the 2023 Upendra, Shiva Rajkumar, and Kichcha Sudeep-starrer Kabzaa. Despite being mounted on a budget of around ₹120 crore, the film collected only ₹40-45 crore at the box office during its run. Incidentally, criticism of the film centred on its attempt to mimic Yash and Prashanth Neel’s hit KGF films. He is currently producing the Rajmohan-directed Father, which stars Prakash Raj, Darling Krishna, and Amrutha Iyengar.

About Toxic

Toxic is directed by Geetu Mohandas and jointly produced by Konanki Venkata Narayana and Yash through KVN Productions and Monster Mind Creations LLP, respectively. Yash plays dual roles as Raya and Ticket in the film. Kiara Advani, Nayanthara, Huma Qureshi, Tara Sutaria and Rukmini Vasanth star alongside him. Mounted on a massive budget, Toxic tells the story of a gangster’s rise to power and his downfall. It is set in Goa under Portuguese rule, even as the rest of India achieved Independence.

The film received criticism over its long runtime and storyline that lacked emotional heft. Team Toxic hasn’t responded to the negative reviews on the film yet. With the weekend approaching, it remains to be seen whether the film’s collections will pick up compared to Thursday.