Yash says Toxic will take Indian cinema global through strong storytelling

Indian actor Yash has opened up about the creative ambitions behind his upcoming film Toxic, describing the project as an attempt to move beyond formula-driven commercial cinema and place Indian storytelling on a broader international platform.

Yash says Toxic aims to take Indian cinema worldwide

Speaking in an interview with Variety, the actor said he deliberately resisted projects that appeared to capitalise on the massive success of his earlier work, particularly following the global popularity of the KGF franchise. Instead, he said he was drawn towards stories that challenged him creatively and emotionally.

“I heard a lot of things which kind of felt like it’s falling into formula or maybe somewhere it also looked like you’re just trying to encash on the success,” Yash says. “From the beginning in my life, I’ve just gone for something where I have to really think how do we do it. And that gives me high, and that gives me energy.”

Toxic, directed by filmmaker Geetu Mohandas, has emerged as one of the most closely watched Indian productions currently in development. The film has generated international attention for its scale, visual ambition and unconventional setting, while also marking Yash’s next major project after the unprecedented commercial success of KGF: Chapter 2.

While the project may outwardly resemble a large-scale gangster drama, Yash suggested its thematic focus is far more layered than audiences may initially expect.

“On the face of it, it might look like a gangster film with all the commercial things, but it’s so nuanced because there is so much of moral ambiguity or raw emotions or dark side of human or certain topics which as an artist or at this point in my life, I would like to explore those kind of things on celluloid,” he explains.

The actor stressed that spectacle alone has never been the driving force behind his decision-making process. Instead, he argued that emotional authenticity and storytelling remain central to the project’s ambitions, even as Indian cinema increasingly seeks international audiences and larger production values.

“Whatever scale and all is not the primary aspect which I look into when we do a film. I think story is important,” he says. “I believe in people. I believe in talent. I believe when they want to do it, if the scale is something which they have never done, it doesn’t mean they cannot do. The intent is very pure. The storytelling at its core is about human emotions or relationships and all the power dynamics between people in any profession.”

The film’s production design reflects that approach. Production designer T.P. Abid has recreated a fictionalised version of Goa during the politically complex period between Indian independence in 1947 and Goa’s formal integration into India in 1961, when Portuguese colonial rule still remained in place.

According to Yash, the historical backdrop was not selected merely for visual appeal, but to support the film’s themes and authenticity. He also addressed ongoing conversations around global casting strategies in Indian cinema, distancing Toxic from projects that cast internationally primarily to expand market reach.

“We have cast some actors keeping those things in mind, but nothing to do for the sake of like people cast Indian actors or Chinese actors to break through their market,” Yash notes. “I don’t believe in that because sometimes the idea itself should drive it, not you have a story and then try to put it in a sense of marketing.”

Toxic: A Fairy Tale for Grown-Ups is directed by acclaimed filmmaker Geetu Mohandas and stars Yash in the lead role alongside Nayanthara, Kiara Advani, Tara Sutaria, Huma Qureshi and Tovino Thomas. The film is jointly produced by KVN Productions and Monster Mind Creations, with Yash also serving as producer alongside Venkat K. Narayana.

Set against a fictionalised version of Goa between 1947 and 1961, the multilingual gangster drama has been mounted as a large-scale international production with music by Ravi Basrur and cinematography by Rajeev Ravi. The film is currently slated for a worldwide theatrical release in 2026, although reports around scheduling adjustments have continued in recent months.