🎬 NGTV ENGLISH
TOXIC MOVIE REVIEW: YASH’S STAR POWER OVERSHADOWS A FAR MORE INTERESTING STORY
Film: Toxic
Director: Geetu Mohandas
Lead: Yash
Language: Kannada
Review: Spoiler-Free
⭐ NGTV ENGLISH REVIEW
Yash’s much-awaited Toxic, directed by Geetu Mohandas, appears to have two very different films fighting for space within the same runtime — one is a loud, star-driven action spectacle, while the other is a darker and more emotionally compelling drama about trauma, guilt and a man confronting the consequences of his past.
That contradiction lies at the heart of Prashanth Maddibande’s review of the BhavaKala Project, which delivers a decidedly mixed verdict on the film.
Choosing the Kannada version, Prashanth says he wanted to avoid what he had heard was an underwhelming Hindi dub. According to his assessment, the film takes considerable time to find its identity. The opening 42–50 minutes are particularly frustrating, with Yash repeatedly returning to the familiar KGF-style superstar template — slow-motion entrances, punchlines, reaction shots and continuous character elevation.
The repetition eventually begins to work against the character of Raya, making the audience wonder whether the protagonist is capable of simply having a normal conversation.
WHEN TOXIC FINALLY BECOMES INTERESTING
Ironically, the film becomes considerably stronger when it moves away from spectacle and begins exploring Raya’s troubled past.
The childhood portions involving Ganga and Raya’s unstable upbringing provide the emotional foundation that the opening portions lack. Nadia’s arrival adds another dimension, bringing vulnerability, love and ultimately guilt into Raya’s journey.
The build-up towards the interval, according to Prashanth, is among the portions where Toxic begins to find its rhythm. However, the interval itself reportedly fails to deliver the impact expected from such a major commercial film.
THE SECOND HALF: PEAKS AND VALLEYS
The second half continues the same pattern of inconsistency.
An older Raya, burdened by age, regret and the consequences of his choices, feels considerably more believable. The confrontation between Raya and Ticket before the climax is highlighted as one of the film’s strongest stretches, largely because the emphasis shifts towards performance and drama.
But just when the film begins building emotional momentum, the climax reportedly returns to action-heavy territory — weakening much of the impact that the preceding dramatic portions had created.
EDITING AND RHYTHM BECOME MAJOR PROBLEMS
One of the biggest criticisms is the film’s rhythm.
Dramatic scenes often appear to be cut short just as the emotional tension starts developing, only for the film to switch back to flashy action sequences. Whether the problem lies in the screenplay, editing or both, the result is an uneven viewing experience.
The central twist may also be predictable, although Prashanth points out that predictability does not automatically make a narrative ineffective. He still finds the basic idea behind the twist interesting.
GEETU MOHANDAS’S VISION VS A STAR VEHICLE
Perhaps the most interesting aspect of Toxic is the clash between Geetu Mohandas’s filmmaking sensibility and the demands of a Yash-led commercial action film.
The director’s strengths are most visible when the film explores childhood trauma, violence, guilt, troubled relationships and the consequences of one’s choices.
Raya is, on paper, a fascinating character — a damaged man shaped by his childhood and forced to confront the person he has become.
But whenever Toxic moves into extended superstar elevation and gangster-action territory, that complexity gets pushed aside.
The result is a film where the drama frequently works better than the action, guilt works better than swagger, and character confrontation works better than hero elevation.
₹500 CRORE LOOK — BUT DOES IT FEEL EXPENSIVE?
The reported ₹500-crore scale of the production also comes under criticism.
Despite the enormous budget, Prashanth feels several portions of the film look artificial, particularly the sets and night-time cityscapes. For a story set against the 1950s–60s backdrop, the film reportedly lacks the texture and authenticity expected from such an expensive period production.
Instead, some visuals appear overly constructed — more like a studio recreation than a lived-in historical world.
Even Ravi Basrur’s background score, which might ordinarily be expected to amplify the film’s larger-than-life moments, does not completely work for him.
THE FILM THAT COULD HAVE BEEN
The most compelling argument in the review is that Toxic might have worked substantially better as a tighter, approximately two-hour drama.
Less action.
Less gangster excess.
More Raya.
More Ganga.
More Nadia.
More Ticket.
More childhood.
More guilt.
More conversations.
And, most importantly, more of Yash the actor rather than Yash the superstar.
According to Prashanth’s assessment, there are essentially two films inside Toxic.
One is a conventional, loud commercial Yash vehicle.
The other is a potentially powerful character drama about a damaged man confronting his past.
Whenever the film chooses the second path, it becomes genuinely engaging.
NGTV ENGLISH VERDICT
Toxic is not necessarily a failure of concept. In fact, its most interesting ideas are buried underneath its commercial ambitions.
Geetu Mohandas’s exploration of trauma, guilt and human consequences provides the film with its strongest material, while the excessive action, repetitive elevation moments and uneven editing repeatedly pull it away from that emotional core.
The ultimate takeaway from Prashanth Maddibande’s review is simple:
Yash does not need to prove that he is a superstar in every scene. He needs to remind audiences that he is also a very capable actor.
NGTV ENGLISH RATING: ⭐⭐⭐ / 5
Verdict: A flawed but intriguing drama buried inside an overextended commercial action spectacle.
