A Star's Welcome Turns Chaotic in Hyderabad
The pre-release event for Yash's highly anticipated film Toxic: A Fairy Tale for Grown-Ups at Malla Reddy University in Dulapally, Hyderabad, on August 22 turned chaotic as an overwhelming crowd gathered to catch a glimpse of the actor. Organised by Telangana Legislative Assembly member Chamakura Malla Reddy, the event, scheduled from 5 PM onwards, drew thousands of students and fans, quickly becoming difficult to control.
Videos shared on social media showed the massive crowd and the chaos surrounding Yash's arrival, with captions like "Crowd Out Of Control" and praise for the actor's popularity. One user wrote, "Malla Reddy sir was shocked to see such huge craze for Yash in Hyderabad. Then he started saying, 'Peeche mud!'" Another added, "This is how SuperStardom looks. Massive crowd puller."
Malla Reddy was seen on stage repeatedly urging the crowd to move back, saying "Peeche mud." Organisers also asked the crowd to maintain at least one arm's distance, though the request appeared difficult to follow amid the turnout. At one point, an organiser addressed the women in the crowd, saying, "I request all the girls to please move back. If not, then I'm going to stop the event right now."
Mishap at the Event
The celebration, however, was overshadowed by an accident. Reports from Gulte and TV9 indicated that parts of the sound and lighting setup collapsed amid the massive gathering, with two youngsters sustaining injuries and a female student reportedly losing consciousness. Injured students were taken to a nearby hospital by ambulance, though the exact number and severity of injuries were not immediately clear.
Yash, who was on stage addressing the audience when the incident occurred, paused his speech to check whether the students were safe and asked organisers about their condition. After being informed there was no major issue, he continued. Concern grew among attendees as several students had reportedly moved closer to the stage and climbed onto structures supporting speakers and other equipment. Police had reportedly asked students to move back before the event to prevent overcrowding and reduce the risk of a stampede.
Yash Defends the Film Amid Backlash
Beyond the crowd control issues, Yash used the event to address criticism over the film's portrayal of women. He said the trailer does not properly reflect what the movie offers and assured that it has "a voice for women."
"I see a lot of girls here," Yash said, adding, "This film's director is also a woman. For us men, to achieve something in life, it is one level of effort. For women, it is double the effort. And the director will prove that every girl...can face every kind of situation and express their thoughts, express their vision, and succeed in this society."
He further said, "There's a voice for women in this film, unlike how it is coming across in the trailer. Watch the movie and enjoy. All you girls, you will have a blast."
Yash had earlier responded to allegations of vulgarity on the show Aap Ki Adaalat, saying the intimate scenes were shot aesthetically. He described Toxic as "bold," "original," and "ambitious," adding that it is "a great film which will speak to you on a personal level also." He also said, "Art should always push you to the darkest corners and make you ask those uncomfortable questions about human relationships."
Cast and Crew Highlights
Director Geetu Mohandas was absent from the event due to "film-related responsibilities." Cast members Kiara Advani and Huma Qureshi mentioned her absence, with Advani crediting Mohandas for her character Nadia and saying she gave her "wings to fly." Qureshi called working on the film "being part of history."
Advani praised Yash's contribution to cinema, saying, "There is no audience like the Telugu audience. The way they shower their love and welcome us." She added, "Rocking star Yash, he truly is one of the most inspiring actors I've ever worked with. Every time I do a scene with him... I just feel like I want to know what's on his mind. There's this passion this man has. I think his contribution to cinema is going to be something that will inspire all of us."
Qureshi lauded Yash's vision, saying she was "part of history" and that Yash has the "vision and guts to be changing the cinema for everyone."
Yash also praised Advani's performance, calling her "an amazing actor" and "very simple, very pure," and said audiences will see a different side of her from August 26.
Advance Bookings Surge
Meanwhile, advance bookings for Toxic, which were opened across India on August 21, have shown strong momentum. The film has sold more than 4.5 lakh tickets in India so far, grossing ₹18.53 crore from over 4.64 lakh tickets across 12,585 domestic shows. The Kannada and Hindi versions are majorly driving the pre-release business, contributing ₹9.50 crore and ₹7.55 crore respectively. Including blocked seats, the Day 1 advance booking gross stands at ₹27.13 crore, and it is expected to cross the ₹30 crore mark if momentum sustains.
Karnataka is the biggest market with ₹10.56 crore across 1,744 shows and 726 nearly full shows. Gujarat leads in show count with 2,319 shows, followed by Maharashtra with 2,189 shows, with collections of ₹1.16 crore and ₹1.30 crore respectively. West Bengal, Delhi and Uttar Pradesh contributed ₹87.77 lakh, ₹86.61 lakh and ₹77.90 lakh respectively.
The film, directed by Geetu Mohandas and produced by KVN Productions and Monster Mind Creations, is a gangster action drama set in Goa, with Yash in a dual role. It stars Yash, Kiara Advani, Nayanthara, Huma Qureshi, Tara Sutaria and Rukmini Vasanth. The film received an 'A' certificate from the CBFC and is scheduled for a worldwide theatrical release on August 26 in Kannada, English, Hindi, Telugu, Tamil and Malayalam.