- Yash's film Toxic: A Fairytale for Grownups has faced multiple release postponements
- The film was initially set for April 10, 2025, then March 19, 2026, and later June 4, 2026
- Delays were due to shooting, production issues, and geopolitical tensions in the Middle East
Kannada superstar Yash's much-awaited Toxic: A Fairytale for Grownups has been postponed a couple of times as the team aims to reach a global audience. But will the continuous deferment be taken in the right spirit by Indian audiences? Yash addressed this question during a recent interview.
“That is really something my fans or people in India will not like. They'll be upset because culturally once you start shooting the film, there is a timeline in their head,” Yash told Variety.
Last month Yash announced that the film would arrive on a “globally aligned date,” after an “overwhelming global response” at CinemaCon. It was scheduled for a June 4 release. Prior to that, the film's release date was March 19; it had been pushed due to the US–Iran war and rising tensions in Middle Eastern countries.
To reach global distributors, Yash focused on finishing the film as early as possible before pitching it to foreign producers.
“In the West, everything starts when you finish the film. If somebody wants to buy the film or be part of the film, they want to see it because huge money is involved,” he told Variety.
The picture is quite different in India, where a film becomes the talk of the town as soon as it goes on floors.
“Unfortunately, marketing happens even if you don't want it to. The moment we start shooting, people start writing about it,” said Yash about his ambitious project. “Those are the things which are a challenge, but I think I have faith in my people, so they understand what we are trying to do is something we all should do,” he added.
Dates after dates
The film was officially announced in 2023 by Monster Mind Creations and Venkat K Narayana's KVN Productions. The film went on floors in October 2024.
Originally scheduled to release on April 10, 2025, it was pushed by almost a year owing to delays in shooting and production. The film then locked March 19, 2026 as its next date, timed for Eid, Gudi Padwa and Ugadi.
However, owing to the US–Iran conflict and the subsequent Gulf crisis, Toxic was postponed again from March 19 to June 4.
“Toxic is complete, and we are currently aligning global distribution and partnerships. In light of this, we have decided to recalibrate our release timeline. While we will not be releasing on June 4 as announced earlier, we will be releasing on a later, globally aligned date. Toxic will come to theatres across the world soon,” the statement read.
Written and shot in Kannada and English, it will have dubbed versions in Hindi, Telugu, Tamil and Malayalam.
Directed by Geetu Mohandas, the film boasts a stellar cast including Nayanthara, Huma Qureshi, Kiara Advani, Tara Sutaria and Rukmini Vasanth.