Archive · 27 Aug 2026
Toxic Divides Critics Over Yash’s Ambitious Gangster Spectacle
Toxic is a Kannada gangster movie starring Yash as a man named Raya.
The story begins in Goa in 1947 and follows Raya’s rise in a dangerous criminal world.
His sister Ganga helps him, while Rebecca, Nadia and Mellisa become important parts of his life.
The movie includes crime, romance, family troubles, revenge and many violent fights.
Reviewers liked how colorful and expensive the movie looked.
They also praised Yash’s screen presence and Kiara Advani’s performance.
Some critics felt the women were not given enough independent stories, while another review said they had agency and helped move the plot forward.
Many reviewers thought the story was confusing, too loud and much too long.
The film’s unexpected twist and Yash’s fans may appeal to some viewers, but other critics considered it an exhausting or disappointing experience.
Toxic follows Raya, played by Yash, through Goa’s criminal underworld from 1947 across roughly two decades.
Reviewers praised the film’s lavish visuals, production design, music, action staging and Yash’s commanding performance.
Critics widely faulted the screenplay, slow pacing, abrupt editing, loud dialogue, CGI-heavy gore and 194-minute runtime.
Reviews disagreed on the female characters: some found them underwritten, while others praised their agency and performances.
Published reviews rated Toxic between 1.5 and 2.5 stars, with some recommending it mainly to Yash or action-film fans.
- Who
- Yash stars as Raya, alongside Nayanthara, Kiara Advani, Tara Sutaria, Huma Qureshi and Rukmini Vasanth; Geetu Mohandas directed and co-wrote the film with Yash.
- What
- Toxic: A Fairytale for Grown-Ups is a stylized Kannada gangster drama about Raya’s pursuit of power, relationships, family conflict, violence, betrayal and possible redemption.
- When
- The film was delayed from its planned March release and is now playing in theatres.
- Where
- The story is set mainly in Goa in the 1940s, with parts taking place in Macau and elsewhere; the film is showing across India.
- Why
- Raya and Ganga join a criminal network as he seeks power, while his choices and relationships lead to conflict, loss and consequences.
Critical View
Supportive View
Story and pacing
Critical View
Reviewers described the screenplay as confused, weak or incoherent, with a sluggish first half, stretched action sequences, abrupt editing and insufficient emotional connection.
Supportive View
Supportive assessments viewed the film as an ambitious experiment combining gangster drama, romance, family conflict and psychological themes; the second half and unexpected twist were seen as more engaging.
Yash’s performance and style
Critical View
Critics said Yash’s performance often overwhelms the film, repeats aspects of his KGF persona and sometimes becomes exaggerated or overly theatrical.
Supportive View
Other reviewers praised Yash’s commanding screen presence, his ability to deliver the larger-than-life image audiences expect and his convincing contrast between Raya and the younger version of the character.
Women’s roles
Critical View
Some reviews argued that the female characters primarily orbit Raya, are presented through the male gaze and receive limited or underdeveloped arcs, with Nayanthara’s performance also criticized as repetitive.
Supportive View
Another review said the women were given agency and helped propel the story, while praising the performances of Kiara Advani, Huma Qureshi, Tara Sutaria, Nayanthara and Rukmini Vasanth.
Visual spectacle
Critical View
Critics felt the film mistakes style and swagger for substance, with excessive gore, artificial-looking CGI and a visual approach that sometimes obscures the story.
Supportive View
Even mixed reviews acknowledged the film’s lavish sets, costumes, cinematography, music, production values and striking action presentation as major strengths.
- Film
- Toxic: A Fairytale for Grown-Ups
- Language
- Kannada; one review covered the Hindi-dubbed version
- Director
- Geetu Mohandas
- Lead role
- Yash as Raya, including a younger version of the character
- Setting
- Goa in 1947, with the story spanning roughly 20 years
- Runtime
- 194 minutes, or approximately 3 hours and 14–15 minutes
- Published ratings
- Reviews rated the film 1.5, 2 and 2.5 out of 5 stars
- Release status
- Currently playing in theatres across India
Sources
5 Reasons Why Toxic Is A 'Tabaahi' Of Our Expectations
Toxic Review: Yash & Geetu Mohandas' Film Is A 'Headache For Grown-Ups'; Why Is Everyone Shouting?
Toxic Movie Review: Yash owns the screen, but Geetu Mohandas gets lost
Toxic movie review: Yash-starrer is full of sound and fury, signifying little
