It was pure rage bait. The buildup to Toxic : A Fairytale for Grown Ups’ release over the past few months has been tumultuous. First came the postponement, which sparked plenty of chatter. Then came the teaser and promotional assets, which made it seem as though the film was going to shatter every conceivable on-screen record for misogyny and vulgarity. The final product, however, is nowhere near. For a project mounted on such a massive scale, the makers got exactly what they wanted: attention.
At times, it almost feels like an extension of Ranbir Kapoor ‘s 2023 film Animal, another film built around a complicated father-son relationship and deeply rooted in unresolved daddy issues. Directed by Geetu Mohandas, Toxic, set in yesteryear Goa, bears her signature storytelling stamp. Much like her previous works Liars Dice and Moothon, the film revolves around identity and the quest to find oneself. Raya (Yash) has had a troubled childhood, with his sister Ganga ( Nayanthara ) being his only constant source of support. She wants him to rule the city, and his first step towards that goal is joining a gang of goons. It is here that he meets Rebecca (Tara Sutaria), the kingpin’s sister. After a whirlwind affair, Raya meets Nadia (Kiara Advani), the star performer at a travelling circus. The two fall in love, and Nadia soon becomes pregnant with Raya’s child. But Rebecca is unwilling to let him go. Complicating matters further is Elizabeth (Huma Qureshi), the kingpin’s girlfriend, who is out for revenge against Raya following a personal loss. That kind of filminess can work when the material demands spectacle at every turn, but Toxic, with its emphasis on the psyche of its central character and his internal journey, often feels like it would have benefited from greater restraint. The film repeatedly announces its own cinematic importance instead of simply allowing its moments to land. The second half brings with it a much-needed surge in pace, but also a hurriedness that feels at odds with what Toxic conditions you for in its first half. After spending so much time establishing its world and delving into Raya’s psyche, the film suddenly begins racing towards its conclusion. Toxic loses its grip on the material as it heads towards the climax, where the storytelling becomes erratic and the emotional payoff doesn’t match the buildup. The music of Toxic is a disappointment. Even the background score, which is often crucial in elevating a spectacle film, fails to deliver a banger this time. For a film that so heavily relies on scale, the music should have been one of its biggest strengths. Overall, beneath the swagger and violence, Yash’s Toxic is ultimately interested in generational trauma and the ways in which a damaged childhood can shape an adult’s understanding of love. That is the film’s most compelling idea, and Yash brings enough vulnerability beneath Raya’s macho to make it work in stretches. Unfortunately, the film keeps making this character study a larger than life spectacle, losing sight of the emotional core it spends so much time establishing.
