Tertius News is an AI-native newsroom: an AI model reads the linked source articles below and extracts what each outlet reported, so you can compare their coverage side by side. How this works →
New information became available — this story may be updated shortly.
Yash defends Toxic amid backlash, says women will have a blast watching it
At a Hyderabad promotion event for his upcoming film 'Toxic', Kannada star Yash shared his admiration for Telugu cinema, listing favorites like 'Baahubali', 'Pushpa', and 'Pokiri'. He also thanked Telugu audiences for their support following 'KGF' and addressed criticism about the film's portrayal of women.
As Rocking Star Yash gears up for his return to the big screens with the gangster action thriller 'Toxic', he and his team have been promoting the film at multiple events. During a recent promotion stop in Hyderabad, the Kannada actor shared his love for Telugu cinema, naming several films he admires from the Tollywood world.
Yash Talks About Telugu Cinema
In a video shared by Telugu Chitraalu, event anchor Suma asked Yash about his favorite Telugu films. Yash named some of the biggest films from Telugu cinema, spanning different years and genres. He said, "There are many films, sir. I have watched a lot of films. Back then for me... I think in Bangalore, in Karnataka, you need to understand—I've been saying this—we love Telugu films in Karnataka. We have always been supportive."
'Pushpa' and 'Baahubali' Among His Favorites
Yash mentioned films including SS Rajamouli's grand epics 'Baahubali' and 'Magadheera'. He also picked Mahesh Babu's action drama 'Pokiri', and interestingly mentioned 'OG', which stars Pawan Kalyan in the lead role. Yash also cited the Allu Arjun starrer 'Pushpa', directed by Sukumar. "I think I have liked so many films, recently 'Pushpa'. I think I have seen every hero's film," he said. He also mentioned watching 'Kick', which he really liked from Telugu cinema. "I think we have loved every hero, we have celebrated every actor," said the 'KGF' star.
Yash also used the 'Toxic' event to thank Telugu audiences for their love and support. He noted that after the success of 'KGF', he became busy with work and could not properly thank Telugu audiences for the support they gave him. He said their encouragement gave him great strength and that he remains thankful for their love.
Addressing Criticism of 'Toxic'
In response to backlash regarding the film's portrayal of women, Yash defended 'Toxic'. He said the trailer created a misleading impression about the film's treatment of female characters. He highlighted that director Geetu Mohandas is a woman and praised her for challenging assumptions about women through her work.
About 'Toxic'
'Toxic: A Fairy Tale for Grown-Ups' is directed by Geetu Mohandas and stars Yash along with Nayanthara, Kiara Advani, Tara Sutaria, Rukmini Vasanth, and Huma Qureshi. The film, which is shot in Kannada and English, is backed by KVN Productions and Monster Mind Creations. It is scheduled to release worldwide on August 26, 2026.
How each outlet told it
India Today
Framing: Emphasizes Yash's defence of the film amid backlash, specifically addressing the criticism about women's portrayal. It highlights his positive message to women, leaving out any coverage of the film's promotional events or the makers' anti-piracy plea. — Defensive and reassuring, with Yash pushing back against critics. The tone is sympathetic to Yash's position, quoting him extensively. The article uses phrases like 'pushed back against the criticism'.
Facts Included:
Yash defended 'Toxic' amid backlash over the trailer's portrayal of women.
Yash said the trailer has created a misleading impression about the film's portrayal of women.
Yash addressed women at a pre-release event in Hyderabad on Saturday (August 22, 2026).
Yash highlighted director Geetu Mohandas as a woman director.
Yash said, 'I want to say something to the young women out there. The director of this film is also a woman – Geetu Mohandas...'
Yash said, 'This director will prove that every girl and woman can face any situation, express her thoughts and vision, and succeed in this society.'
Yash urged women to watch the film before forming an opinion.
The backlash began with the teaser, songs, and trailer, with criticism over intimate scenes and limited screen time for female leads.
The song 'Tabaahi' featuring Yash and Kiara Advani drew criticism over intimate scenes.
Yash recalled speculation about his career after KGF and said Mohandas 'didn't approach Toxic from that perspective'.
Yash said Mohandas told him, 'I don't need the money; you have already given me plenty.'
The film is a period gangster drama with Yash in a double role.
Framing: Focuses on the makers' request to avoid recording and posting scenes, emphasizing audience behaviour and anti-piracy. It leaves out any mention of the film's content, controversies, or cast details. — Informative and appreciative, focusing on the film's expected success and the makers' gratitude. The tone is neutral with a positive slant towards the film's prospects.
Facts Included:
The makers of 'Toxic' urged the public not to record scenes from the film and post them on social media.
The request was made on Tuesday, August 25, with the film releasing on August 26.
KVN Productions issued a statement titled 'A Note from Team Toxic'.
The statement included quotes about the film being 'years of heart poured into a world we built frame by frame' and a request to 'let the experience unfold' without spoilers.
Bookings for the film opened on August 21.
Yash posted on X about the opening of advance bookings, with a quote: 'A fairy tale isn't just what this film is. It's also what making it was...'
Industry sources claimed the film had a very strong start in bookings.
A special video featuring Yash, director Geetu Mohandas, and cast members was unveiled.
The film is shot in Kannada and English and will be released in Hindi, Telugu, Tamil, and Malayalam.
'KGF: Chapter 2' grossed over ₹1,200 crore worldwide.
The film stars Yash, Nayanthara, Kiara Advani, Tara Sutaria, Rukmini Vasanth, Huma Qureshi, Akshay Oberoi, and Sudev Nair.
Framing: Emphasizes Yash's appreciation of Telugu cinema and his list of favourite films, highlighting his engagement with another film industry. It leaves out any mention of the film's release details, promotional controversies, or the makers' request. — Positive and celebratory, emphasizing Yash's appreciation and gratitude. Supported by quotes like 'we have loved every hero, we have celebrated every actor'.
Facts Included:
Yash named Telugu films including 'Baahubali', 'Magadheera', 'Pokiri', 'OG', 'Pushpa', and 'Kick' as his favourites.
The event took place during Hyderabad promotions for 'Toxic'.
Anchor Suma asked Yash about his favourite Telugu films.
Yash said, 'There are many films, sir. I have watched a lot of films. Back then for me... I think in Bangalore, in Karnataka, you need to understand—I've been saying this—we love Telugu films in Karnataka. We have always been supportive.'
Yash mentioned 'Pushpa' directed by Sukumar and starring Allu Arjun.
Yash said, 'I think I have liked so many films, recently ‘Pushpa’. I think I have seen every hero’s film.'
Yash said, 'I think we have loved every hero, we have celebrated every actor.'
Yash thanked Telugu audiences for their support after 'KGF' success.
'Toxic: A Fairy Tale for Grown-Ups' is directed by Geetu Mohandas and stars Yash, Nayanthara, Kiara Advani, Tara Sutaria, Rukmini Vasanth, and Huma Qureshi.
The film is scheduled to release worldwide on August 26, 2026.
Each row is one claim, attributed to the outlet whose wording states it most clearly. Confidence rates how directly the source text states the claim — explicit and unhedged rates high; hedged, pieced-together, or internally inconsistent statements rate lower. It does not measure whether the claim is true. Status counts the distinct outlets we found asserting it — so a single-source claim can still show high confidence, and a multi-source claim can show medium. Every one of those outlets is named beside the status, so you can check the count against the list. For claims extracted before we began storing that list, the row says so: it names the outlet the claim is quoted from and states that we have not recorded which outlets backed it. Outlets wrote at different times, so a figure that evolves — a casualty count, for example — can legitimately differ between rows; check the "as of" time next to each claim's source.
Claim
Confidence
Status
ClaimYash named Telugu films including 'Baahubali', 'Magadheera', 'Pokiri', 'OG', 'Pushpa', and 'Kick' as his favourites.
ClaimYash said, 'There are many films, sir. I have watched a lot of films. Back then for me... I think in Bangalore, in Karnataka, you need to understand—I've been saying this—we love Telugu films in Karnataka. We have always been supportive.'
Claim'Toxic: A Fairy Tale for Grown-Ups' is directed by Geetu Mohandas and stars Yash, Nayanthara, Kiara Advani, Tara Sutaria, Rukmini Vasanth, and Huma Qureshi.
ClaimThe statement included quotes about the film being 'years of heart poured into a world we built frame by frame' and a request to 'let the experience unfold' without spoilers.
ClaimYash posted on X about the opening of advance bookings, with a quote: 'A fairy tale isn't just what this film is. It's also what making it was...'
ClaimYash said, 'This director will prove that every girl and woman can face any situation, express her thoughts and vision, and succeed in this society.'