Yash-starrer Toxic: A Fairy Tale for Grown-Ups, directed by Geetu Mohandas, hit theatres on Wednesday, marking one of the biggest releases of the year. The film, which also stars Nayanthara, Kiara Advani, Tara Sutaria and Huma Qureshi, opened to strong numbers across several markets, particularly Karnataka.
However, the film witnessed a sharp correction on its second day. Like several big-ticket releases that benefit from the initial rush, Toxic saw its momentum dip considerably on Thursday, with collections falling across its key territories. The drop was particularly noticeable in markets where the film had recorded a strong opening, raising questions about how well it can sustain its momentum through the weekend.
Toxic collected Rs 43.75 crore gross in India on day 2, taking its two-day India gross to Rs 164.50 crore. The film's worldwide gross currently stands at Rs 190.75 crore, while its India net collection is Rs 137.50 crore. On Thursday, the film recorded Rs 36.40 crore in net collections across 22,629 shows, with an overall occupancy of 26.6%. This is a significant fall from its Rs 120.75 crore gross and Rs 101.10 crore net collection on Day 1.
Karnataka continues to be the film's strongest market, contributing Rs 10.75 crore on day 2 after a Rs 30.50 crore opening. Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, meanwhile, dropped from Rs 18.50 crore on Day 1 to Rs 4.25 crore on Thursday. Tamil Nadu also saw a substantial decline, with collections falling from Rs 6.75 crore on Day 1 to Rs 1.75 crore on Day 2. The state has contributed Rs 8.50 crore to the film's Rs 164.50 crore India gross so far.
The day 2 numbers also put Toxic behind Yash's previous pan-India blockbuster, KGF: Chapter 2. The latter collected Rs 116 crore net on its opening day and Rs 90.50 crore on day 2, taking its two-day India net to Rs 206.50 crore, with only a 22% drop on the second day. Toxic, in comparison, has collected Rs 137.50 crore net in two days, with its day 2 numbers falling by nearly 64% from the opening day. While Toxic has still made a strong start, the sharper correction compared to KGF 2 makes its weekend hold particularly important.
Tamil Nadu could be particularly crucial for Toxic from Friday, with two Tamil releases, Hi and Once More, arriving in theatres today, just two days after the Yash-starrer. Both films will compete with Toxic for screens and show timings, and a strong opening for either could lead to further reduction in the latter's show count in the state. With the weekend ahead, Toxic will now be looking to stabilise after its steep day 2 fall.
