Shivarajkumar did not mince words when he was asked about the mixed and negative reactions to Yash-starrer Toxic: A Fairy Tale for Grown-Ups at the Mumbai announcement of his next film, Original Monster.
A journalist asked the actor whether he had watched Toxic and what he made of the negative reviews surrounding the film. Shivarajkumar responded by pointing to something he believes is fundamental to cinema: every filmmaker has the right to tell a story in their own way and attempt something different.
“The team has tried to bring something new to the audience. It is a good attempt, and many people have already appreciated the film,” he said, adding that a viewer’s perspective also plays a role in how a film is received. He stressed that a film should be watched in its entirety before arriving at a definite opinion.
His comments come as Toxic, which opened worldwide on August 26, continues to generate discussion. Directed by Geetu Mohandas and headlined by Yash, the film is a period gangster drama and marks Yash’s return to the big screen after KGF: Chapter 2. Yash plays Raya in a dual role.
The film has an ensemble cast that includes Nayanthara, Kiara Advani, Huma Qureshi, Tara Sutaria and Rukmini Vasanth, with Akshay Oberoi and Sudev Nair also part of the cast. Nayanthara plays Ganga, Kiara plays Nadia, Huma plays Elizabeth and Rukmini plays Mellisa.
Toxic is produced by Venkat K Narayana and Yash under KVN Productions and Monster Mind Creations. The film was made as a large-scale Kannada-English production and released across multiple Indian languages.
While the film has received divided responses, Shivarajkumar’s comments are less about defending every aspect of Toxic and more about defending the freedom to experiment. His point is simple: cinema does not have to follow one formula, and an unconventional attempt deserves to be judged on its own terms.
The Mumbai event also marked the announcement of Original Monster, bringing Shivarajkumar and director R Chandru together for a major multilingual project. Chandru is making his Bollywood production debut with the film and is collaborating with producer Anand Pandit. Telugu actor Sunil will also feature in the project.
