Mumbai [India], September 17: Actor Akshay Oberoi has spoken about the underwhelming box-office performance of Yash-starrer Toxic: A Fairy Tale for Grown-Ups, while also addressing speculation that Yash had too much influence over the film’s making. Oberoi, who played Tony in the Geetu Mohandas directorial, said he does not blame any individual for the film’s performance and described Yash as an ambitious actor who strongly believes in his own vision.
Speaking on the Kadak podcast, Oberoi recalled his experience of working with Yash and said the actor had a personality and approach to filmmaking that he had rarely encountered. He described Yash as a “one-man show” and said the KGF star does not wait for others to create opportunities for him.
“He doesn’t wait for anybody. Actors like me, who are hungry for work, keep dialing producers and directors and ask them for work. He only believes in himself,” Oberoi said, explaining how he viewed Yash’s approach to his career.
Oberoi also credited Yash with helping take Kannada cinema to a wider audience through KGF and said that Toxic represented another ambitious attempt to present Kannada cinema on an international scale. According to Oberoi, the attempt did not achieve the desired audience response, but he believes the ambition behind the project was significant.
The actor was also asked about reports suggesting that Yash had become heavily involved in the creative process of Toxic, with some speculation claiming that his involvement affected director Geetu Mohandas’ control over the film. Oberoi rejected that interpretation based on his own experience on set.
“I was present on set and I know I was directed by one person, Geethu Mohandas,” Oberoi said, adding that he would like to work with the filmmaker again.
Oberoi said audiences who purchased tickets have every right to discuss and analyse the film after watching it. However, he maintained that he personally would not blame Yash, Mohandas or any other individual for the movie’s performance. He said filmmaking involves many decisions and that the eventual response from audiences is not completely within the control of the people who make a film.
Despite the commercial outcome, Oberoi said he remained proud of Toxic. He described the movie as a project made with considerable passion and said everyone involved had attempted to deliver something different. In earlier interviews, he had similarly defended the film and said he was proud of what the team had created.
His comments come after Toxic opened with considerable expectations following Yash’s success with the KGF franchise. The film reportedly generated more than ₹100 crore worldwide on its opening day, but its collections dropped sharply after the first day and the movie struggled to maintain its initial momentum.
The film’s eventual theatrical run has been mixed commercially. The latest figures reported by The Indian Express and other outlets put its India net collection at around ₹249.49 crore, while its worldwide gross has reached approximately ₹341.52 crore. The film received a mixed response from audiences and critics, with its visual ambition and scale receiving attention while its storytelling and execution attracted criticism.
Toxic: A Fairy Tale for Grown-Ups is directed by Geetu Mohandas and stars Yash alongside Nayanthara, Kiara Advani, Tara Sutaria, Huma Qureshi, Rukmini Vasanth and Akshay Oberoi. The film marked Yash’s return to theatres after KGF: Chapter 2 and was positioned as a large-scale action-crime drama with an unconventional visual and narrative style.
For Oberoi, however, the experience appears to have been more significant than the final box-office numbers. He said Yash involved him in conversations about areas such as business and VFX during the post-production stage, giving him an opportunity to understand aspects of filmmaking beyond acting. Oberoi said he learned considerably from the experience and was inspired by Yash’s approach to building his career.
The actor’s latest comments therefore offer a different perspective on the film’s underperformance. Rather than attributing the result to reports of creative interference, Oberoi has maintained that Toxic was a collective attempt that ultimately did not connect with audiences in the way its makers had hoped. His comments also make clear that, from his experience, Geetu Mohandas remained the director on set.
Meanwhile, Toxic is preparing for its digital release. NDTV reported that the film is expected to premiere on ZEE5 on September 25, although the streaming platform and makers had not officially confirmed the date at the time of its report.
