08 January,2026 05:40 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondent
Geetu Mohandas
The teaser of Yash's Toxic was released today, and the internet is busy dissecting its explosive visuals. Headlined by Yash, who became a pan-India star after the massive success of KGF, Toxic promises to present him in a grand new avatar. The film is directed by Geetu Mohandas, best known for Moothon.
The teaser introduces Yash as the protagonist, Raya, portraying him as a gun-slinging gangster who is unfazed by blood or gore and instead thrives in it. Toxic: A Fairytale for Grown-Ups marks Geetu Mohandas' first commercial venture, following her critically acclaimed independent films Moothon (starring Nivin Pauly) and Liar's Dice (starring Nawazuddin Siddiqui).
However, after the promo was released, several fans drew parallels with the Kasaba controversy. The Malayalam film starring Mammootty had earlier faced criticism from a section of audiences, including actress Parvathy Thiruvothu and filmmaker Geetu Mohandas, for its alleged objectification of women.
Geetu Mohandas, a member of the Women in Cinema Collective (WCC), an organisation that advocates gender equality and policy reform within the Malayalam film industry, has been vocal in her opposition to the objectification of women in cinema.
Following the promo, critics and online trolls questioned how Geetu could justify the scene, given her earlier stance against Kasaba, where Mammootty's character was criticised for inappropriate behaviour towards a woman police officer. Geetu had previously supported Parvathy Thiruvothu, arguing that portraying the lead actor walking away in slow motion with heroic background music glorified problematic behaviour. Now, critics are asking whether the hero of her own film is doing the same.
Set against the backdrop of a cemetery, the teaser of Toxic: A Fairytale for Grown-Ups opens with a burst of action, with gunfire cutting through the silence, signalling the arrival of Yash as the composed, fearless, and unflinching Raya, wielding a Tommy gun.
The teaser arrived as a treat for fans who were eagerly awaiting an update, especially after Yash skipped his birthday fan meet. Written by Yash and Geetu Mohandas and directed by 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.
