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From Upendra and Kiccha Sudeep to Rishabh Shetty, Rakshit Prem, Aashika Ranganath, Saanvi Sudeep and Vijay Prakash, many big and powerful voices of Kannada cinema are praising Rocking Star Yash and his film 'Toxic: A Fairy Tale for Grown-ups'. The film's grand scale, unique storytelling style, Yash's stellar performance and the creative vision of Yash and Geetu Mohandas have caught the attention of these stalwarts of the industry.

What makes these reactions special?

What makes these reactions special is the decision of Yash and Geetu Mohandas to step out of the stereotypical 'larger than life' hero image. After the huge success of 'KGF: Chapter 2', Yash had every opportunity to follow the same tried and tested path, but instead of taking the easy and predictable route, he chose to explore a dark, layered and completely different character and cinematic world with 'Toxic'.

At a time when there has been unusually strong negativity regarding 'Toxic', which many observers were not considering completely organic, this praise coming from Kannada cinema has come as a strong counterpoint. Apart from the ongoing debate about the film, big names of the industry have focused on its ambition, scale, performance and the creative vision of Yash and Geetu Mohandas.

'Toxic is a fairy tale…'

Veteran star of Kannada cinema Upendra was also among those who praised the film and the hard work put into making it. Sharing his reaction on

'It takes courage to do it'

Kiccha Sudeep highlighted Yash's decision to do something completely different instead of repeating his previous commercial formula. Sharing his thoughts on X, he wrote:

“Just wanted to say, @TheNameIsYash — you really tried to do something out of the box, instead of following the same predictable path of your previous commercial blockbuster and making a regular, expected and formula based follow-up. To do something like this takes a different mindset, conviction and most importantly, courage to do it. #Toxic An unusual and commendable effort. Many parts of the film are really intriguing, which opens the way for great debate and learning. Salute to you for daring to experiment beyond the conventional.

Trying to revive from the bottom of my heart

'Kantara' star Rishabh Shetty also praised Yash's conviction, especially considering the enormity of his character and its emotional complexity. On social media he said:

“As an artiste, when you play a character, you try to bring it alive from the depth of your heart. And here I am really impressed by the conviction with which the struggle of a powerful man has been depicted. The film's plot and its driving characters may not follow the usual track that most films follow, but that does not mean that the track is wrong.

The hard work that goes into telling a story and the journey from an idea in the mind to making it a film on screen is huge. Yash sir, salute to the way you have given yourself to a character and a world that demands a larger than life performance. I could clearly feel it in every scene.

It is not easy to give the audience the experience of how guilt grows and deepens the toxicity in life. Sir, I stand with you in doing this daring experiment. We also love you for the love you have for taking Kannada cinema to the global stage.”

Rakshit Prem expressed pride in Yash

Rakshit Prem also expressed pride in Yash and his journey as an artiste, writing on Instagram: “My love is for 'Toxic'. @thenamesiyash, you make us proud… extremely proud! And the way you have carved yourself out as an artist is amazing. Watch 'Toxic' because I know you will feel the same. More power to this entire team.”

Actress Aashika Ranganath saw the film from a special introspective perspective. He noted how guilt, trauma and regret become important parts of the film's protagonist's journey. Their reaction clearly reflected the emotional depth of the character and the film's attempt to explore the battle going on within a powerful person.

Saanvi Sudeep praised Yash's performance

Saanvi Sudeep especially expressed his praise for Yash's performance. On Instagram, he wrote: “The word 'phenomenal' is not enough to describe what he did in 'Toxic'. He didn't just act, he filled every frame with magic. The kind of performance that stays with you even after the credits have finished. He really showed everyone what an incredible artist he is.”

Singer Vijay Prakash also praised the emotional and cinematic ambition of the film and wrote on Instagram:

“When we don't like sunlight, we draw curtains. But curtains can only block sunlight from coming into our house, the sun still shines in full glory. 'Toxic' is pure cinema, a film driven by brilliant performances and deep human emotions and whose story unfolds against the backdrop of gang war. Nothing more, nothing less. Pure cinema. Kudos to Yash and the entire team!”

Creative choices impressed Kannada cinema

One thing clearly emerges from all these reactions that the creative choices of Yash and Geetu Mohandas have impressed Kannada cinema. 'Toxic' sees Yash moving beyond the conventional larger than life hero image with which he is often associated, and embracing a character and a world that demands something completely different from him as an artist.

The echo of this praise received from Kannada cinema is also visible in the audience response of the film outside Karnataka. In the Hindi belt, 'Toxic' has crossed the figure of ₹ 112 crore nett in just four days, which shows that the audience has also openly accepted this new avatar of Yash.

'Toxic: A Fairy Tale for Grown-ups' starring Rocking Star Yash, Nayanthara, Kiara Advani, Tara Sutaria, Rukmini Vasant and Huma Qureshi is directed by Geetu Mohandas. The film was directed by Venkat K. Narayan has produced under the banner of KVN Productions and Yash's Monster Mind Creations. The film has been released in theaters across the world.