(The biggest advantage for Yash is his toxic masculine appearance. No one expects him to be good or do good things in a movie. He’s already a RAAVAN. Can’t wait to see how he ups his game with Ramayan.)
An emotionally Weaker KGF with lots of Violence and Intimacy
Yash, the rising star from the Kannada industry, has built his own fan base by showcasing raw heroism. His slow-motion style has its own audience. Nobody expected a Kannada film to do wonders at the box office, but Yash made it happen.
It is a dream for every Kannadiga to see their star bring money and recognition back to the state.
Toxic was co-produced and co-written by Yash himself.
Yash seems to be in the hangover of KGF. It looks like he walked straight out of KGF and came to shoot this film the next day.
If Prashanth Neel added charcoal and tint to Yash’s world, Geethu Mohandas added a lot of colours and visual brightness to his.
Yash doesn’t seem to have much chemistry with anyone in the first half, yet the film gives him plenty of intimate moments. At one point, it feels like even Yash looks bored doing the same things violence, intimacy and more violence.
Geethu Mohandas dreamt of making an alternate KGF with a twist.
Unfortunately, the dream never made it to the screenplay
Geethu Mohandas doesn’t really use feminism. She uses female characters to bring attention and intimacy to the screen.
Nayanthara’s character has struggles, but we only feel sympathetic towards her. We never become empathetic.
Drama with a Twist
The second half is a torture from the beginning. Rukmini Vasanth has been wasted. She enters in the second half and plays an illogical role. I was waiting for her to uncover her tactics, but sadly director believed in other ideology.
The film suddenly shifts into a psychological drama something we never expected. But the transition is beaten to death, especially when the audience is already exhausted by the R-rated first half.
Some sharp editing in the first half could have done wonders.
Yash won’t forget this film. He clearly had fun making it. Sadly, that experience didn’t translate to the fans.
I would rate the film with 2/5
Not a fairytale.. but a nightmare!