Toxic: A Fairy Tale for Grown-Ups, which was at first intended to be a bilingual film shot simultaneously in Kannada and English, had its Kannada version, together with the other language versions, released in cinemas on August 26, with the Kannada version subsequently being dubbed into Hindi, Tamil, Telugu and Malayalam. The English version will now receive its own theatrical release in certain Indian cities on September 4, providing the producers with another chance to attract a new group of viewers to the film.
The English version is different from a normally dubbed one in that it was filmed during the initial production. Yash and the other actors performed and dubbed for their parts in English as well. Furthermore, the English cut is shorter since some songs and scenes have been omitted from the longer Indian-language version.
The film, which has been produced by KVN Productions and Monster Mind Creations, is directed by Geetu Mohandas. Yash appears in two roles as Raya and Ticket, and is also joined by Nayanthara, Kiara Advani, Huma Qureshi, Rukmini Vasanth, Tara Sutaria, Akshay Oberoi and Sudev Nair. Rajeev Ravi is responsible for the cinematography and Ravi Basrur has composed the background score.
The international aspect of this release is probably the most interesting. Lionsgate is in charge of the international distribution of the English version with the aim of appealing to people who normally do not watch films in Indian languages. For Yash, this represents a new challenge following KGF, which had established his reputation both throughout India and among Indian audiences abroad.
The film has already received a variety of reactions in its various language versions, the Kannada version having stayed its most successful market whereas the Hindi version has enabled the film to reach audiences outside Karnataka; Toxic has also achieved good worldwide figures during its opening week, even though the receipts have since slowed down after the initial surge.
The film is now able to reach a new audience. Indian viewers who previously avoided it because of the language may watch it instead, and those living overseas who are not familiar with Kannada cinema will have a version in a language they are more used to seeing in cinemas.
For Yash, the release on September 4 might be important for another reason since, although his popularity has already spread throughout the Indian markets, an English-language version will expose him to viewers who are unfamiliar with his previous films.
The true test is whether the viewers will be interested in Yash even though KGF has acted as their introduction.
It all depends on the film itself, on the story it tells and on how well its world relates to people who are seeing Yash for the first time; if the English version appeals to that audience, Toxic might obtain a useful second theatrical run and at the same time provide its leading man with another way of entering international markets.
