American actor Kyle Paul, who recently completed filming for Yash’s upcoming Toxic: A Fairytale for Grown-ups, shared his exhilarating experience on set. Taking to social media, Paul, who plays a pivotal supporting role, described working on the action entertainer as "the best experience I ever had on set." What made the project even more unique was his deep dive into Kannada—a language he hadn’t encountered before. The challenge became especially intense during a high-stakes emotional scene, pushing him to step outside his comfort zone and fully immerse himself in the role.
“I’ve had a lot of great experiences on movie sets before, but Toxic was something else,” Paul said. “Here I am, filming in India, around 3 am, and I’m facing a scene that requires intense emotion. But there’s one catch—I need to do it in Kannada. A language I barely understand.” Paul had to tread a delicate balance between capturing raw emotion in his performance while navigating the complexities of a foreign language.
He continued, “It was honestly a struggle. To be honest, I was fighting with my mind trying to process words I didn’t know while keeping my emotions raw. It just didn’t click, and I couldn’t make it work right away.”
However, the actor credits much of his success to the support from the film's director, Geetu Mohandas. “She was amazing. Whenever I stumbled, she was right there, cheering me on. ‘You got this! Take your time! We’re here for you!’ That encouragement made all the difference.”
According to the makers, Toxic: A Fairytale For Grown-ups is aimed at elevating Kannada cinema on the global stage. Conceptualized, written, and filmed in both English and Kannada, it is the first large-scale Indian film to merge these two languages. Along with Kannada, Toxic will also be dubbed in Hindi, Telugu, Tamil, and Malayalam.
The film, produced by Venkat K Narayana and Yash under KVN Productions and Monster Mind Creations, features Yash in the lead, along with Kiara Advani, Nayanthara, Human Qureshi, and Tara Sutaria, among others. As for Kyle Paul, his experience on Toxic wasn’t just about learning a new language, it was also about embracing the unfamiliar and pushing his limits as an actor. “It was an adventure, a challenge, and an unforgettable ride that I wouldn’t trade for anything,” he concluded.