After several delays, Indian actor Yash’s much-awaited film Toxic: A Fairy Tale for Grown-Ups is finally set to release in cinemas on 26 August.
Announcing the new release date, the makers unveiled a fresh teaser that offers the first extended look at Yash and the film’s leading ladies while introducing the dark, stylised world of the action thriller.
The nearly two-minute teaser opens with a tongue-in-cheek warning to viewers: “Kids… stay away. Parents… make sure your kids stay away. Grandparents… make sure your kids’ kids stay away. Great-grandparents… at your own risk.”
It then cuts to a brief glimpse of Yash and Kiara Advani lying on a beach, although neither actor is fully revealed. As visuals of Kiara Advani, Nayanthara, Huma Qureshi, Rukmini Vasanth and Tara Sutaria appear across different settings, a voice-over says: “Love! Love makes monsters of women. It is a beautiful illusion if one understands the depth of its deception. And yet, here we are fighting for his scraps of devotion.”
The teaser then shifts to Yash, who rolls up his sleeves and says, “Ladies and ladies, do you want to come one by one or all at once?” It is the only spoken on-screen dialogue delivered by any character in the teaser.
The sequence continues with action scenes featuring Yash alongside the film’s female characters. It also includes brief glimpses of his intimate moments with multiple partners without revealing their identities. One shot closely resembles the controversial car intimacy scene that drew online criticism when it was first unveiled months ago.
As the narration continues, Yash is shown taking on several female opponents in an action sequence. The teaser ends with the message: “Intoxicating the world on 26.08.26.”
According to Indian Express, the central narration appears to caution women against toxic relationships and settling for less in love. However, despite featuring several prominent female characters, none of them delivers any dialogue in the teaser. Yash remains the only character with a spoken line.
The teaser has triggered mixed reactions on social media. While many viewers praised its scale, visuals and Hollywood-inspired treatment, others criticised what they described as the glorification of toxic masculinity.
Toxic was originally scheduled to clash with Dhurandhar: The Revenge on 19 March. The makers later postponed the release, citing the conflict in the Gulf. The film was subsequently rescheduled for 4 June before facing another delay. It is now set to arrive in cinemas on 26 August.
