Huma Qureshi has praised Kiara Advani for her dedication while filming Toxic: A Fairy Tale for Grown-Ups, revealing that the actor continued shooting a rain sequence while she was six months pregnant.
Kiara, who stars alongside Yash in the Geetu Mohandas-directed period gangster drama, has faced criticism following the release of the film’s song Tabaahi.
Amid the backlash, Huma highlighted Kiara’s strength during the film’s production.
Speaking at the film’s pre-release event in Chennai, Huma recalled filming a rain-heavy scene with Kiara.
“There was a scene in Toxic we were both part of, and there was so much rain involved.
She was just about to have a baby and we were getting drenched in the rain and I had a terrible headache,” Huma said.
She added that whenever she felt like complaining about the difficult conditions, she would look at Kiara.
“Every single time I wanted to complain, I would look at Kiara. She was six months pregnant, and she was just standing there doing that scene. Standing like a rock,” Huma said.
Calling Kiara’s determination “inspiring”, Huma added, “Looking at her I was like, ‘Oh my god,’ that is so inspiring. I know you are going to get a lot of love for this film. Love you loads.”
Kiara and actor Sidharth Malhotra welcomed their daughter in July 2025.
The couple announced the birth on Instagram and requested photographers to respect their privacy and avoid photographing their newborn.
They later revealed that their daughter is named Saraayah Malhotra.
Kiara and Sidharth married in Jaisalmer, Rajasthan, in 2023. They previously shared the screen in the 2021 war drama Shershaah.
Toxic: A Fairy Tale for Grown-Ups is directed by Geetu Mohandas, known for the National Award-winning film Liar’s Dice.
The period gangster drama is backed by KVN Productions and Yash’s Monster Mind Creations.
Yash leads the film in a double role, with Nayanthara, Tara Sutaria, Kiara Advani, Huma Qureshi and Rukmini Vasanth also part of the cast.
The film has been shot in Kannada and English and is reportedly among the most expensive productions in Indian cinema.
Toxic has attracted attention since the release of its first teaser, while Tabaahi, featuring Yash and Kiara, has recently sparked further discussion online.
The film’s advance bookings opened five days before its theatrical release.
It reportedly earned ₹18 crore through advance bookings for its opening day, with three days remaining before release.
Toxic: A Fairy Tale for Grown-Ups is scheduled to arrive in cinemas on 26 August.
