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Hyderabad: Yash’s latest release Toxic: A Fairy Tale for Grown-Ups may be continuing its theatrical run, but the Geetu Mohandas directorial has faced a strong backlash from sections of audiences and critics over its storyline, graphic violence and sexual content.

Amid the debate around the film, an old controversy involving Yash producer Allu Aravind has resurfaced online. It all start after the actor’s mother, Pushpa Arun Kumar hit back in her latest chat with media.

In comments that are now going viral, Pushpa strongly defended her son’s career and questioned the repeated narrative that Yash became a star only after KGF.

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“My son is not a terrorist. He was already a successful star in Karnataka before KGF and has delivered several hit films that proved his popularity,” she said.

Pushpa pointed out that Yash had already spent years building a career in Kannada cinema before KGF: Chapter 1 turned him into a pan-India star. She highlighted films such as Googly, Drama, Mr. and Mrs. Ramachari, Gajakesari and Santhu Straight Forward as examples of his pre-KGF success.

She also spoke about Yash’s humble beginnings, stressing that he did not come from a film family. His father, Arun Kumar, worked as a KSRTC bus driver, while his mother was a homemaker. According to Pushpa, Yash entered the industry without financial backing or established connections and built his career through television and Kannada films.

What did Allu Aravind say about Yash?

The controversy stems from an older comment made by Allu Aravind at a promotional event. While discussing the rising cost of making big-budget films, Aravind questioned whether an actor’s stardom was responsible for a film’s success.

Referring to Yash, he asked, “Who was Yash before KGF?” He argued that the film’s scale, production and visual spectacle played a major role in its success, rather than Yash’s stardom alone.

The remark had upset Yash’s fans at the time and has resurfaced on social media once again, particularly as Toxic faces criticism.

Yash had previously responded to the controversy during a promotional interaction, acknowledging the importance of producers while also stressing that cinema is a collective effort involving actors, writers, technicians and several others.

Meanwhile, Pushpa has accused some people of attempting to undermine her son’s career and spreading what she described as propaganda against Toxic. She maintained that Yash’s journey was built over years and said the support of his audience remains his biggest strength.