Toxic (2026 film)

Upcoming film by Geetu Mohandas

6 min read

Toxic (subtitled A Fairy Tale for Grown-Ups) is an upcoming Indian period gangster film directed by Geetu Mohandas. It stars Yash in a dual role, alongside Kiara Advani, Nayanthara, Huma Qureshi, Tara Sutaria, and Rukmini Vasanth. The film is jointly produced by Venkat K. Narayana and Yash under their respective banners, KVN Productions and Monster Mind Creations. The film was simultaneously shot in Kannada and English.

The film was officially announced in December 2023 under the tentative title Yash 19, as it is the 19th film of Yash as a leading actor, with the official title revealed a few days later. Principal photography took place from August 2024 to October 2025 across Bengaluru, Mumbai, Goa, Thoothukudi and Jaipur. The cinematography was handled by Rajeev Ravi and music was composed by Ravi Basrur, Vishal Mishra, Tanishk Bagchi, Faheem Abdullah, and Arslan Nizami.

The film is scheduled to release in theatres worldwide on 19 March 2026, coinciding with Ugadi, Gudi Padwa and Eid-al-Fitr.

Premise

Set in a bygone era, this gripping tale unfolds in the coastal paradise of Goa, where a powerful drug cartel pulls the strings behind a facade of sun-soaked beaches and vibrant culture.

Cast

Production

Development

In April 2023, it was reported that Yash would collaborate with director Geetu Mohandas for his next project after the KGF film franchise (2018–present). Tentatively titled Yash 19, the production was reported to begin after Geetu finalised it as her next directorial venture. Sources claimed that Yash and Geetu had signed the project and that production would begin in June 2023. In late September 2023, Hollywood action choreographer J. J. Perry posted a photograph on Instagram with himself and Yash, hinting at a possible collaboration. Shortly thereafter, Yash reportedly spent a day at music composer Charan Raj's studio, further suggesting a potential association with the project. Finally on 9 December 2023, KVN Productions and Yash's production house, Monster Mind Creations, officially announced the film along with the title.

In January 2024, cinematographer Rajeev Ravi was announced as part of the film's technical crew. In January 2025, Geetu stated that Yash was also part of the film's writing team.

Casting

Yash plays as the main lead in a dual role. Kiara Advani joined the film in April 2024, as the female lead alongside Yash, thus also marking her Kannada debut. Huma Qureshi joined the cast in June 2024 for a key negative role. Tovino Thomas reportedly joined the cast in July 2024, as the main antagonist. In August 2024, Akshay Oberoi and Tara Sutaria joined the cast. In January 2025, Oberoi confirmed that Nayanthara joined the cast for a key role. Sudev Nair joined the cast in April 2025 while Rukmini Vasanth joined the cast in August 2025 following the completion of Kantara: Chapter 1.

Various foreign actors like Darrell D'Silva, Kyle Paul, Beatriz Taufenbach and Benedict Garrett will feature in the film.

Filming

Principal photography commenced in August 2024 in Bengaluru along with the pooja ceremony. As part of the production process, the film utilised previsualization to plan stunt sequences and ensure safety. A major portion of the shoot began in September 2024 at a large-scale 20-acre set near Bengaluru, recreating the period from the 1940s to the 1970s. The production involved an extensive team of over 1,000 crew members and 450 actors, including foreign extras. In October 2024, some sequences were filmed in the forest areas of Peenya in Bengaluru. Later, an FIR was filed against the producer for allegedly cutting trees in the forest area without permission. In November 2025, sequences featuring Advani were shot in Mumbai. A dance sequence featuring Yash and Advani was choreographed by Ganesh Acharya in January 2025 in Goa. In February 2025, Yash alongside with Advani, Nayanthara, Qureshi and Sutaria shot several sequences in Bengaluru. In June 2025, the film's remaining shoot was shifted to Mumbai from Bengaluru so as to facilitate Advani's pregnancy. In September 2025, a massive 45 day shoot featuring many action sequences choreographed by J. J. Perry was completed in Mumbai. In October 2025, the final schedule was filmed in Bengaluru.

Additionally shooting also took place in Thoothukudi, where an action sequence was filmed, while a special song sequence was also shot in Jaipur.

Music

The film's soundtrack album was composed by Ravi Basrur, Vishal Mishra, Tanishk Bagchi, Faheem Abdullah, and Arslan Nizami. Ravi Basrur also composed the background score of the film. Earlier, Jeremy Stack was announced as the composer for the film, but opted out of the project. However, Ravi Basrur was confirmed as the new composer, marking his third collaboration with Yash after KGF film franchise. Vishal Mishra, Tanishk Bagchi, Faheem Abdullah, and Arslan Nizami was later joined as another music composer. Anirudh Ravichander was also announced as the composer but due to the date issues, he opted out of the project. The music rights were acquired by Zee Music Company.

Marketing

The first look glimpse of the film was unveiled on 8 January 2026, coinciding with Yash’s 40th birthday. The glimpse generated instant global traction, amassing over 200 million views and 5.5 million likes within 24 hours across platforms. The official teaser was released on 20 February 2026.

Release

Theatrical

Toxic is scheduled to be released in theatres worldwide on 19 March 2026, coinciding with Ugadi, in Kannada, Hindi, Telugu, Tamil, Malayalam and English. Originally, it was scheduled to release in theatres on 10 April 2025 but was eventually postponed due to delayed shooting and production issues.

Distribution

Sri Venkateswara Film Distributors acquired the distribution rights in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana for ₹120 crore (US$14 million). The distribution rights for North India and Nepal were acquired by AA Films. The overseas distribution rights for the Indian-language versions were acquired by Phars Film for ₹105 crore (US$12 million). E4 Entertainment acquired the distribution rights across Kerala.

Controversy

Following the release of teaser, the Women's wing of Aam Aadmi Party submitted a complaint to the Karnataka State Commission for Women as they had objections with the obscene visuals featured in the teaser. In February 2026, another formal complaint was lodged to the CBFC by the National Christian Federation where they alleged that the film's teaser depicts obscene scenes and also hurts religious sentiments by including a statue of Archangel Michael in the fight sequence inside the cemetery.