Yash’s much-awaited film Toxic: A Fairy Tale for Grown-Ups has finally released its trailer, but instead of only receiving praise, the film has also faced criticism online.
The trailer, released on 8 August, gives a bigger look at Yash’s character, the action, the dark world of the film, and his equation with Kiara Advani.
The film is directed by Geetu Mohandas and also stars Nayanthara, Huma Qureshi, Tara Sutaria and Rukmini Vasanth
Yash’s exposing scene becomes a talking point
One of the scenes that caught netizens’ attention shows Yash in a revealing look.
The scene quickly became a topic of discussion on social media, with some users questioning the choice and presentation.
The criticism comes after the film’s earlier promotions had already created controversy over intimate and bold scenes.
Users compare Yash with Ranbir’s ‘Animal’
Some social media users also compared Yash’s look and overall screen presence in Toxic with Ranbir Kapoor’s Animal.
A section of viewers called the film an “Animal copy” and said that Yash appears to be following the same dark, violent and intense image that Ranbir had in the 2023 film.
However, these are social media reactions and do not establish that Toxic is actually inspired by or copied from Animal.
Why is ‘Toxic’ facing criticism?
The latest criticism is not completely new. Toxic has been facing mixed reactions since its earlier promotional material.
In January, the teaser drew criticism over intimate visuals, with some viewers calling them inappropriate. A complaint was also filed over the content shown in the teaser.
Kiara’s intimate scenes also face trolling
Kiara Advani has faced a separate wave of trolling because of her intimate scenes with Yash. The criticism became stronger after the release of the song Tabaahi, which showed the two actors in romantic and intimate moments.
Some users questioned Kiara for doing such scenes despite being married to Sidharth Malhotra and becoming a mother.
Sidharth stands by Kiara
Amid the trolling, Sidharth Malhotra has remained supportive of his wife. Kiara has previously spoken about how Sidharth helps her deal with online criticism.
She recalled his advice to not take such comments seriously and to let people say what they want.
The trolling has also raised questions about double standards
The criticism against Kiara has also led to a debate about double standards.
Yash is also married and a father, but much of the criticism over the intimate scenes has been directed at Kiara.
British actor Benedict Garrett, who is part of Toxic, openly questioned this difference in treatment. He pointed out that both Yash and Kiara are actors doing their jobs.
Huma Qureshi also defended Kiara
Huma Qureshi, another actor from Toxic, also spoke against the trolling.
She called the criticism “sick” and “disgusting” and defended both Yash and Kiara.
She also suggested that the film itself would eventually answer the criticism once audiences watch it.
Not everyone disliked the trailer
Despite the criticism, the trailer has also received positive reactions.
Some viewers praised its visuals, action sequences and darker world.
Online discussions show that opinions remain divided, with some calling the trailer interesting while others feel the earlier promotional material focused too much on intimate content.
Yash calls ‘Toxic’ an Indian film
At the trailer launch, Yash also spoke about the film’s identity. He said he does not want Toxic to be seen only as a Kannada, Tamil or Telugu film, but as an Indian film.
The statement reflects the makers’ aim to take the film to audiences across the country.
Film releases on August 26
Toxic: A Fairy Tale for Grown-Ups is scheduled to release worldwide on August 26, 2026.
Until then, the debate around Yash’s look, the film’s bold scenes and the trolling of Kiara is likely to remain a major part of the film’s pre-release buzz.
