Cinema VinesKannada film star Rishab Shetty took to Twitter late Saturday night to applaud fellow actor Yash for his latest venture, Toxic. The 2024 release, which was billed as Yash’s next big hit after the KGF franchise, has struggled at the box office and has been met with a wave of negative reviews and fan backlash. Despite the lukewarm reception, Shetty praised Yash’s willingness to take risks and highlighted the effort that went into the film’s creation.
In his tweet, Shetty wrote, “As an artist, when you play a character, you try to bring it to life from the bottom of your heart. And here, I am truly impressed by the conviction with which the struggle of a powerful man has been portrayed.” He added that while the plot and characters may not follow conventional formulas, the hard work behind the story should not be dismissed. “Maybe the plot and driving characters are not on the usual track on which most films travel, but that doesn’t mean the track is wrong. The effort that goes into telling a story, and the journey it takes from being a thought in the mind to becoming a film on screen, is humongous,” he said.
Shetty also singled out Yash’s performance, stating, “@TheNameIsYash Sir, hats off to the way you have surrendered yourself to a character and a world that demands a larger‑than‑life performance. I could clearly feel that in every single scene. It’s not easy to give the audience an experience of how guilt multiplies and increases the toxicity in life. I stand with you for attempting this daring experiment, sir.” He praised Yash for his ambition to elevate Kannada cinema on the global stage.
Actor Kiccha Sudeep echoed Shetty’s sentiment, tweeting, “Just want to say this, @TheNameIsYash — you’ve genuinely tried something out of the box rather than taking the predictable route of making another regular, expected, formulaic follow‑up to your previous commercial blockbuster.” Sudeep emphasized that such experimentation requires “guts” and commended Yash for stepping away from the usual commercial style. He added, “It takes a different mindset, conviction, and most importantly, the guts to attempt something like this. #Toxic is an unusual and commendable attempt. There are several portions that are genuinely intriguing and open to great debate, discussion, and learning. Kudos to you for daring to experiment and step away from the conventional.”
Commercially, Toxic has failed to meet expectations. By its first Saturday, the film had earned only ₹24 crore in India, bringing its domestic total to ₹190 crore. In contrast, KGF 2 had already collected ₹135 crore by day four and surpassed ₹550 crore in total worldwide. The gangster drama, directed by Geetu Mohandas, has been described by critics as a “fairy tale for grown‑ups,” but its box‑office performance suggests audiences are not yet convinced.
