Yash’s First Reaction to Toxic Failure Revealed: ‘Leave It to the Audience’; ₹500 Crore Film Struggles at Box Office

Yash’s first reaction after Toxic fails to meet expectations revealed

Bengaluru: Yash’s ambitious Toxic: A Fairy Tale for Grown-Ups may have arrived with blockbuster expectations, but the film has struggled to sustain its momentum after opening day. Now, a member of the film’s team has revealed how Yash reacted when the early reviews and audience response began pouring in.

Jaidev Mohan, who worked as the film’s dubbing supervisor, spoke about Toxic’s performance during an interview with Prajavani’s YouTube channel. He said he had spoken to Yash twice on the phone after the film’s release and could sense the actor’s disappointment.

According to Jaidev, Yash told him not to dwell on the negative reaction.

“Don’t worry too much. Let’s leave it to the audience; it’s their wish. There is work to be done next.” 

‘I can hear the pain’

Jaidev said he became emotional after seeing the reviews and reactions to Toxic on its opening day. He acknowledged that Yash had invested more than four years in the project, making the film’s reception particularly difficult for those involved.

While Jaidev described himself as only a small part of the production, he said Yash’s response showed that the actor was aware of the criticism but was trying to move forward.

The film was directed by Geetu Mohandas, with Yash also credited as a co-writer. Yash plays dual roles in the gangster drama, which features Nayanthara, Kiara Advani, Huma Qureshi, Tara Sutaria and Rukmini Vasanth. 

From massive opening to sharp slowdown

Toxic opened strongly, benefiting from Yash’s huge popularity following the KGF franchise. Trade reports put its first-day India collection at around ₹101.10 crore, but the film subsequently experienced a steep fall in daily earnings. By Day 10, its India gross was reported at around ₹241 crore, while the worldwide gross had crossed ₹330 crore. 

By Day 14, The Times of India reported that the film had reached roughly ₹247 crore in India and ₹338.32 crore worldwide, although its daily earnings had fallen to ₹69 lakh. 

The numbers make the situation more complicated than simply calling the film a total box-office disaster. Toxic has generated substantial revenue, but its huge reported production cost and the dramatic post-opening decline have raised questions about its profitability.

Audience response remains divided

The film's reception has been mixed, with criticism directed at its storytelling and execution despite praise for its scale and visual presentation.

The intense expectations surrounding Toxic also worked against it. Yash’s previous film, KGF: Chapter 2, became a major pan-India blockbuster, and Toxic was expected by many fans to deliver another event film.

Instead, the movie's second-week collections weakened considerably.

The Indian Express also noted that Toxic was facing stronger competition at the box office from films such as Mirzapur The Movie, while other reports pointed to Hanuman Ansh performing strongly in the same period. 

Over 3 lakh piracy links reportedly removed

Jaidev also claimed that the team had taken down more than three lakh piracy links since the film's release.

Piracy has become another concern for the makers, particularly for a big-budget film that depends heavily on sustained theatrical revenue. 

However, the reported box-office decline cannot automatically be attributed to piracy alone, as audience reviews, competition and word-of-mouth also influence a film’s theatrical performance.

Yash chooses to move on

Despite the disappointment, Jaidev said the response ultimately belongs to the audience.

He explained that the film had evolved considerably during its four-year journey, with its versions changing from the initial concept through production and completion.

His comments underline the reality of filmmaking: a project can be developed with enormous effort and resources, but once it reaches theatres, audiences ultimately decide its fate.

For Yash, the response to Toxic may be a setback after the extraordinary success of KGF, but his reported message to the team was notably restrained: leave the film to the audience and focus on the work ahead.