Toxic Review: Did Yash’s Toxic Live Up to Expectations?

Release Date: August 26, 2026
Starring: Yash, Nayanthara, Kiara Advani, Tara Sutaria, Rukmini Vasanth, Huma Qureshi and others
Director: Geetu Mohandas
Producers: Venkat K. Narayana and Yash
Music Directors: Ravi Basrur, Vishal Mishra and others
Cinematographer: Rajeev Ravi
Editor: Ujwal Kulkarni

Story:
Set in Goa in 1947, Toxic follows Raya (Yash), a powerful figure involved in the illegal trade, who works alongside his sister Ganga (Nayanthara) under Salvador. After being married to Salvador’s daughter Rebecca (Tara Sutaria), Raya falls in love with Nadia (Kiara Advani), a circus performer, and has a child with her. Circumstances force Raya to leave Nadia, but years later, unexpected events bring him face to face with his son Ticket, also played by Yash. What happens between the father and son forms the core of the story.

Plus Points:
Yash is undoubtedly the biggest strength of Toxic. He carries the swagger, style and commanding screen presence seen in the KGF franchise, while his portrayal of Ticket offers a noticeably different look and performance. Kiara Advani gets one of the more substantial female roles and performs well, particularly in her scenes with Yash. Nayanthara delivers a restrained performance, while Huma Qureshi is adequate in her role. The film also benefits from its grand visuals, lavish production design and large scale action sequences.

Minus Points:
The biggest drawback is the weak screenplay. The basic story is relatively simple, but the film stretches it across 194 minutes without enough character development, emotional progression or meaningful world-building. The first half spends considerable time on violence, intimate scenes and preachy dialogues, while the second half continues with prolonged sequences that test the audience’s patience. Several characters, including those played by Nayanthara, Rukmini Vasanth and Tara Sutaria, are not utilised to their full potential. The father-son conflict between Raya and Ticket also lacks the emotional depth expected from such an important relationship.

Technical Aspects:
Geetu Mohandas attempts to present the story on a huge canvas, and the scale is clearly visible. However, tighter direction and editing could have significantly improved the film’s pacing. Rajeev Ravi’s cinematography complements the grand setting, while the production design and sets look impressive. Ravi Basrur and the other music composers provide a loud background score, which works in some action moments but feels excessive in several scenes. Ujwal Kulkarni’s editing is uneven, with many sequences requiring tighter cuts.

Verdict:
Toxic looks stylish, lavish and ambitious, but its thin screenplay struggles to justify the lengthy 194 minute runtime. Yash remains the film’s biggest attraction and delivers a strong performance in both roles. However, excessive violence, intimate sequences, preachy dialogues and underdeveloped character arcs dilute the emotional impact. The father-son conflict, which had the potential to be the film’s strongest element, is not explored deeply enough. Yash fans and action film lovers may find something to enjoy, but the film may not satisfy audiences looking for a tightly written emotional action drama.