08 January,2026 02:12 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondent
Still from Toxic- A Fairytale for Grown-Ups
Taking the excitement to the next level, the makers of Toxic: A Fairytale for Grown-Ups have unveiled Yash's character teaser, perfectly timing it with the actor's 40th birthday celebrations on Thursday. The teaser offers a striking glimpse into Yash's intense and enigmatic character as Raya, instantly sparking excitement among fans. Director Sandeep Reddy Vanga was among the first people to laud the teaser. However, most audience were not too impressed by the teaser of the upcoming actioner.
The filmmaker known for movies like Animal and Kabir Singh took to X and wrote, "TOXIC teaser just knocked me out. Style. Attitude. Chaos. Happy Birthday Yash".
However, the general opinion of the audience after watching the teaser is not favourable. Many found the sexual scene in the teaser unnecessary.
A user wrote, "For me it looks and feels like Rocky Bhai in Marco's dress. The colour, the style and staging of slow-mow action scenes are an extended version of KGF world with Marco's wardrobe and atmosphere."
Another person wrote on X, " Unnecessary slow mos and jerky transition between shots, not letting the scene breathe...ugh...that's practically going be the whole movie. Oh...and LOUD bgm that overpowers dialogues".
Another person noted, "Sex scenes copied from Ullu. Dialogues copied from Ravi Kumar. Outfits copied from Peaky Blinders. Action scenes copied from Hollywood C-grade movies. Toxic is made for dumb grown-ups."
Set against a backdrop of a cemetery, the teaser opens with a blaze of action, with gunfire cutting through the silence signalling the arrival of Yash as the composed, fearless, and unflinching Raya with a Tommy gun.
The teaser arrives as a treat for many, who were eagerly waiting for an update, especially when Yash skipped the fan meet on his birthday.
On Wednesday, the actor took to his Instagram Story to update his fans, explaining that he is busy with work on his upcoming film 'Toxic.'
In the statement, Yash expressed his understanding of how much his fans have been looking forward to meeting him and how he also misses them. He further explained that while he wanted to meet his fans on his birthday, he couldn't do so because he is "fully immersed" in his work to ensure the film is ready on time. He also promised fans that they would meet in a "much bigger way" soon and assured them that he would personally read all their birthday wishes.
Written by Yash and Geetu Mohandas and directed by Geetu Mohandas, 'Toxic: A Fairytale for Grown-Ups' has been simultaneously shot in Kannada and English, with dubbed versions planned in Hindi, Telugu, Tamil, Malayalam, and several other languages.
Produced by Venkat K. Narayana and Yash under the banners of KVN Productions and Monster Mind Creations, 'Toxic' is slated for a worldwide theatrical release on March 19, 2026.
