12 March,2026 09:29 AM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondent
ARakesh Bedi and Yash
A few days ago, the makers of Yash's Toxic: A Fairytale for Grown-ups announced their decision to postpone the release of the film due to geopolitical tensions in West Asia, thus avoiding a clash with Dhurandhar 2. As Dhurandhar: The Revenge now gears up for its theatrical release on March 19, veteran actor Rakesh Bedi has reacted to Toxic being postponed.
During a chat with India Today, Rakesh, who reprises his role as the cunning politician Jameel Jamali in the Dhurandhar franchise, shared that the makers have not decided to delay the sequel despite the tensions.
Responding to the makers of Toxic, citing the ongoing US-Israel tensions in the Middle East as the reason for pushing their film by two months, Bedi joked, "Tension toh humare liye bhi hai Middle East main, par hum toh aa rahe hai (the tension exists for us, too, in the Middle East, but we will release our film)."
Notably, Dhurandhar, which was released in December, faced challenges during its release in West Asia. Dhurandha was banned in six countries, including Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the UAE, after the authorities objected to its message, which was reportedly considered anti-Pakistan in nature.
Despite the earlier controversy and the current geopolitical tensions, the makers of Dhurandhar 2 are proceeding with the March 19 release.
On March 4, the makers of Toxic: A Fairytale For Grown-Ups, KVN Productions and Monster Mind Creations released an official statement that read, "Toxic: A Fairy Tale for Grown-ups is a film we conceptualised with the vision to create cinema for a global audience. Filmed in Kannada and English, it is built with the conviction to connect with viewers both at home and across the world. After years of dedicated labour, we were excited to share our film with you all on the 19th of March. However, the current uncertainty, especially in the Middle East, has created a situation that impacts our goal to reach and connect with the widest possible audience."
The note further stated, "Therefore, in the interest of our partners and our audience, we have made the difficult but carefully considered decision to reschedule our release. We thank you for your understanding and patience and look forward to your continued love and support."
