Toxic Review: Yash, Kiara Advani, Nayanthara Starrer Serves Boredom, And Unbearable Violence!
Toxic, directed by Geetu Mohandas released in theatres on August 26. Read our review here.
Caught the first early morning show of Yash starrer Toxic and sat for more than 3 hours only to be left wondering, “What did I just watch?” The much-awaited action saga directed by Geetu Mohandas features a brilliant female cast: Kiara Advani, Nayanthara, Huma Qureshi, Tara Sutaria and Rukmini Vasanth. It’s set in the post-independence era, and follows the story of Raya, an aspiring gangster. Toxic is, at its core, a basic plot amped by style, action and violence, but none of the elements really seem to come together to give us a good time at the movies. Read our review here.
Plot
Raya (Yash) is a budding gangster, a daring and fierce man. Raya’s backbone is his sister Ganga (Nayanthara). The two work with a gangster, Salvador, in Goa. Huma Qureshi’s Elizabeth is his girlfriend. Tara Sutaria’s Rebecca is Salvador’s daughter, and she eventually falls in love with Raya. Enter Kiara Advani’s Nadia, the star performer at a circus. Raya falls deeply in love with her. The story is followed by many conflicts to ultimately conclude what narcissism does to a man!
Story, Screenplay, Characters
There is no real story in Toxic, and the screenplay is equally bad. The first few minutes left us confused. I found myself asking, “What is happening? Why are there so many killings?” The story fails to build any kind of emotional connection or chemistry in the movie, or with the audience; it desperately tries to fill this gap with action, BGM, and loads of slo-mo shots. The first half of the film that deals with Raya’s relationship with the several women in his life is scattered all over the place with no definite plot line, character arc or emotions. I lost track of the timeline several times because the film was randomly jumping from Goa to the mountains, to suddenly Macau with no context whatsoever. The second half has the final twist, and that’s also the final test of our patience. All this to reach here is the thought haunting me even a day after watching this film.
Except for Nayanthara’s Ganga, no other female character is well-defined or has a strong purpose in the film’s plot. The strong female characters only feel like a facade in Geetu Mohandas’ Toxic. Everyone is there to cater to Raya’s whims and fancies. Some female objectification scenes were difficult to watch. Who are we catering to here, and why is there a need for such acts?
Violence
There is too much unnecessary violence in Yash’s Toxic. Like too much. The film’s answer to every question is a massively shot action sequence. But the one that bothered me the most was a fight sequence of Yash with some female assassins. It is only meant for the lead character’s aura farming! How much can you talk about the stylish action set pieces when that’s the only thing you get in a film?
Dialogues
The film is dialogue-heavy. Some characters are given long dialogues that leave you feeling bored and annoyed! The Hindi dub is nothing less than funny (not in a good way).
Also Read: Kiara Advani Reveals Yash’s Reaction To Her Pregnancy News On Toxic Sets. How Cute!
Performances
Yash has given his all in the film and the character. In many moments, he shines too by delivering exactly what the script demands. Kiara Advani has also handled the character of Nadia well, although there were no emotions attached to her character, despite the actor trying her best. Not her best role for sure. Huma Qureshi’s weak character writing could not justify the actor’s potential, which was underutilised. I loved watching Nayanthara’s aura on the big screen. She effortlessly pulled off the gangster role. Tara Sutaria is extremely gorgeous to watch. Rukmini Vasanth’s character felt ill-fitted into the story, but she delivered a decent performance.
Verdict
Geetu Mohandas’ Toxic has good performances, but it’s of no use as the weak story is absolutely unbearable to watch, also considering the run time!
First Published: August 27, 2026 1:48 PM
