For a film that has been making noise with its teaser, songs and, most recently, its trailer, Toxic: A Fairy Tale for Grown-Ups is finding another way to stay in the conversation: its music. With songs being released ahead of its August 26 theatrical outing, the Yash-starrer appears to be giving its soundtrack as much attention as its visuals.
Directed by Geetu Mohandas and produced by Venkat K Narayana and Yash under KVN Productions and Monster Mind Creations, Toxic stars Yash alongside Nayanthara, Kiara Advani, Huma Qureshi, Tara Sutaria and Rukmini Vasanth. Set against the criminal underworld of a bygone Goa, the film has been mounted as a period gangster drama, with Rajeev Ravi handling the cinematography.
The music has brought together a diverse group of composers, including Vishal Mishra, Tanishk Bagchi, Faheem Abdullah, Arslan Nizami and Ravi Basrur. The latter, who also handles the background score, returns to Yash’s musical universe after their association with the KGF films.
From 'Tabaahi' to 'Manamohaka,' the songs released so far have offered contrasting shades of the film. While Tabaahi brings Vishal Mishra’s energetic sound to the forefront, Manamohaka, composed by Tanishk Bagchi, Arslan Nizami and Faheem Abdullah, leans towards a more romantic mood.
The soundtrack is said to have around 10 pieces, comprising full-length songs as well as shorter musical portions. The next significant addition, however, could be the theme song, which brings an unexpected international voice into the film’s music: Russian singer Diana Ankudinova.
Diana became widely known after winning two consecutive seasons of the Russian television talent show, You Are Super!. She is known for her unusually deep, dramatic contralto voice and has performed in Russian, English and French, among other languages.
For Toxic, Diana Ankudinova’s voice is rendered in multiple languages in the theme, which is linked to the film’s father-son emotional thread. Ravi Basrur is also said to have recorded the piece with a 100-piece orchestra, making the scale of the composition one of the highlights of the soundtrack.
In a thank-you note to Diana, Basrur wrote, “Your voice has added a unique soul and emotion to the music.”
With its mix of Indian composers, an international vocalist and a large orchestral arrangement, the music is shaping up to be one of Toxic’s most distinctive elements.