Kantara composer Ajaneesh Loknath defends Yash's Toxic, says audience would call even Lagaan ‘boring’ today

Music composer Ajaneesh Loknath says he liked Geetu Mohandas and Yash's Toxic despite the negative reviews for it. He even compared it to Lagaan.

It has been a long week for Geetu Mohandas and Yash as their film, Toxic: A Fairy Tale for Grown-Ups, was released last Wednesday and inundated with negative reviews from critics and audiences alike. Music composer Ajaneesh Loknath, known for his work on Kantara, Maharaja, and more, came to the film’s defence, even comparing it to Lagaan. He wrote that Aamir Khan’s sports drama would be considered ‘boring’ by audiences today.

Lagaan is also over 3 hours long like Geetu Mohandas and Yash's Toxic.

Kantara composer reviews Toxic

Ajaneesh posted a long note on X (formerly Twitter), urging fans not to heed reviews and to watch Toxic. “Don't just read reviews. Experience cinema. I watched Toxic, and I liked it,” he wrote, adding, “I feel people should go and watch it in theatres. Cinema is a personal experience. My taste, my thought process and my experience can be completely different from someone else's. I have seen many films over the years that I enjoyed, even though reviews were negative-and missed some that were actually good, because of bad reviews.”

Asking people to be ‘responsible’ while judging the film, he reasoned, “Be responsible before you judge. When a film doesn't do well, it is not only the producer or the actors who suffer. Hundreds of technicians and crew members, who work incredibly hard, are also affected for many years. Let's not come to conclusions and influence others without watching the film.”

Deep Dive

What are the main reasons for the negative reviews of the film Toxic?

How did Ajaneesh Loknath defend the film Toxic despite the criticism?

What comparisons did Ajaneesh Loknath draw between Toxic and Lagaan?

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“About Toxic. I really liked the attempt and especially Yash's performance. I truly appreciate him for choosing this kind of character and story. Yes, there are a few small things that didn't work for me, but they are easily ignorable. Overall, it's a very good film,” wrote Ajaneesh.

Brings up Lagaan

Ajaneesh also brought up Lagaan without naming it and wrote, “A thought about a 25 year old film. I watched the trailer of a great film released 25 years ago, now re-released for its 25th anniversary. I imagined-if it had released today, people would have commented, "lag", "boring", and reduced the whole story to, "there will be a match, India will challenge the British, the match will happen-that's it." We might have missed a truly great film just because of irresponsible opinions.”

He ended his note with, “Reviews are opinions, not your experience. If a film interests you, go to the theatre, watch it yourself and then form your own opinion. I appreciate KVN Productions, Yash, the entire cast and crew for this film. Best wishes to the whole team. Watch it. Experience it. Then decide for yourself.”

Ashutosh Gowariker's Aamir Khan-starrer Lagaan was re-released in theatres on June 12 for its 25th anniversary. It was originally released in theatres on June 15, 2001. Toxic, a gangster drama directed by Geetu and co-written and produced by Yash, was released in theatres on August 26. It also stars Kiara Advani, Nayanthara, Huma Qureshi, Tara Sutaria, and Rukmini Vasanth.