The excitement around Toxic hit a speed bump after the much-awaited pan-India entertainer was postponed for the second time, missing its June 4 release date and leaving fans of Yash disappointed. Now, opening up about the delay in a recent interview, the actor admitted that he knew the decision would not go down well with his fans, but said the team ultimately chose to push the film back for the bigger picture.
Yash defends his decision
Recently, Yash gave an interview to Variety India where he spoke about his decision to delay the release of the much-anticipated film.
In April, Yash revealed that the film is postponed once again and would miss the June 4 date. He said that while the film itself is complete, the team is currently focused on locking in global distribution and strategic partnerships. At that time, the move, he suggested, is aimed at ensuring the film reaches its “fullest potential worldwide”.
Talking about the delay, Yash said, “Right now I’ve taken a decision of taking my time and releasing this film. That is really something my fans or people in India will not like. They’ll be upset because culturally you’re used to like once you start shooting the film, there is a timeline in their head. And unfortunately, marketing happens even if you don’t want to. The moment we start shooting, people start writing about it.”
He added, “In the West, everything starts when you finish the film. If somebody wants to buy the film or if somebody wants to be part of the film, they want to see the film because huge money is involved. Those are the things which is a challenge, but I think I have faith in my people, so they understand what we are trying to do is something what we all should do.”
A few days back, Tara Sutaria also discussed the delays in the film’s release and how she has processed them. She told The Hollywood Reporter India, “I am very patient. I don’t look at it as if it doesn’t release right away, what will happen to me? I am thinking about the bigger picture… as an actor you can’t look at the film as yours. It does not belong to you. It is everybody’s that created it.”
“I also understand that I am here to do my job as an actor. Beyond that, I may not have the same understanding that the producers or directors do. There are reasons behind the delay, and I genuinely think those reasons are valid. I completely understand the audience’s eagerness to watch the film — trust me, I feel the same way — but I believe the wait will ultimately benefit the film and help it receive the kind of global embrace we are hoping for. It is definitely worth the wait,” she added.
Toxic gets delayed again
It marked the second time the film’s release has been postponed from its originally planned date. The film was initially slated for a worldwide theatrical release on March 19 and would have clashed with Ranveer Singh’s Dhurandhar 2, which is directed by Aditya Dhar. However, the clash was averted when it was pushed back from its March 19 release to June 4 because of the disruption in the Middle East due to the Iran-Israel conflict.
On its second delay, Yash put out a statement on his Instagram account to explain the reason behind it. “There are films we make, and then there are films that remind us why we fell in love with cinema. Toxic has been one such journey. Presenting our film at CinemaCon and witnessing the overwhelming global response reaffirmed what we have always believed—that this film deserves to reach its fullest potential worldwide,” read the statement.
Written by Yash and Geetu Mohandas and directed by Geetu Mohandas, Toxic: A Fairytale for Grown-Ups features Yash in the lead alongside Kiara Advani, Nayanthara, Huma Qureshi, Rukmini Vasanth, and Tara Sutaria.
The film, announced in 2023, went on the floor in 2024. It was simultaneously shot in Kannada and English. The film will also be released in dubbed versions in Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, and Malayalam.