Toxic stars
Hyderabad: The craze surrounding Yash’s Toxic: A Fairy Tale for Grown-Ups is reaching fever pitch even before the film hits theatres. With the much-awaited action gangster drama set to release on August 26, the film has already generated massive interest among Hyderabad moviegoers, with a whopping 1.3 million people marking themselves as interested on BookMyShow.
While the 1.3 million figure represents audience interest rather than tickets sold, the response is a strong indicator of the enormous anticipation surrounding Yash’s return to the big screen.
With such strong pre-release momentum, Toxic is already being tipped as one of the biggest theatrical events of the year. However, whether the film ultimately breaks box-office records will depend on its theatrical performance after release.
Directed by acclaimed filmmaker Geetu Mohandas, Toxic marks Yash’s return to cinemas nearly four years after the phenomenal success of KGF: Chapter 2. The film has been mounted on a massive scale and promises a dark, stylish period gangster drama set against an underworld backdrop.
Yash leads the film in a highly anticipated role, with Nayanthara, Kiara Advani, Huma Qureshi, Tara Sutaria and Rukmini Vasanth forming part of its ensemble cast.
The combination of Yash’s enormous fan following, the film’s larger-than-life visuals and the anticipation surrounding his first release after KGF: Chapter 2 has created extraordinary buzz across markets.
If there is one city that has made its excitement particularly evident, it is Hyderabad.
The grand pre-release promotional campaign for Toxic reached a fever pitch with a mega event at Malla Reddy University on August 22, where thousands of fans and students gathered to catch a glimpse of Yash and the film’s team.
The sheer scale of the crowd reflected the growing popularity of Yash among Telugu audiences. Yash also addressed the gathering in Telugu and spoke about cinema, dreams and the importance of moving beyond North-South divisions.
The enthusiasm, however, briefly turned chaotic when a sound and lighting structure collapsed during the event. Reports said several people were injured, with one student suffering a leg fracture and others sustaining minor injuries. Yash immediately paused his speech, checked on those affected and urged people to remain safe.
The incident momentarily disrupted the celebrations, but the overwhelming response from Hyderabad fans once again underlined the extraordinary anticipation surrounding Toxic.
The film’s theatrical momentum has also been reflected in its advance sales. According to reports based on advance-booking data, Toxic has crossed Rs 30 crore in domestic advance bookings, including blocked seats, while more than six lakh tickets have already been sold. Karnataka is leading the pre-sales, while the Hindi version is also showing strong demand across several markets.
The demand has been strong enough for exhibitors in Mumbai to add early-morning and late-night shows, with screenings reportedly scheduled as early as 6 am and as late as 11:45 pm.
With millions of people showing interest, strong advance bookings and Yash returning after KGF: Chapter 2, expectations surrounding Toxic are enormous.
The film is clearly entering theatres with tremendous audience anticipation, particularly in Karnataka and Telugu-speaking markets such as Hyderabad. The question now is whether the pre-release frenzy will translate into record-breaking collections once the film opens worldwide on August 26.
For now, one thing is clear: the Toxic fever has already gripped audiences, and Hyderabad is very much at the centre of it.
This post was last modified on August 24, 2026 3:10 pm