Yash’s presence has emerged as one of the more consistent positives in the early reactions. The film’s scale, stylish presentation and certain action sequences have also received praise, even from viewers who were disappointed by the overall narrative. “Although the film is technically rich, the chaotic screenplay, weak dialogues, and editing errors make it a nightmare. Ravi Basrur’s background music was even more annoying. Yash’s screen presence and the climax are the only relief,” a netizen shared his X review.
“Yash’s stylish appearance, circus-like stunts, and rich visuals are the only plus points in this 3-hour violent drama. The film had already clocked ₹ 49 crore in Day 1 advance bookings in India. Trade estimates currently put its opening-day India gross at around ₹ 80-100 crore, while projections suggest the film could cross the ₹ 100 crore mark worldwide, with estimates ranging between ₹ 100 crore and ₹ 120 crore.
Some viewers, meanwhile, felt the film’s visual style and Yash’s larger-than-life presentation were among its strongest elements. Another viewer was even more critical of the film’s storytelling and called out several technical aspects of its execution. They wrote, “#Toxic A Fairy Tale That Turns Into a Complete Nightmare for Everyone! A technically sound film buried under chaotic writing and exhausting execution. There are barely any proper character introductions, the narrative has no clear flow, and the screenplay gets confusing enough that you’re often left wondering what’s even happening. Dialogue writing is bad, the editing is even worse, and Ravi Basrur’s BGM only makes the experience that much more painful. Yash’s screen presence and a few scenes along with a better executed climax are the very few positives. This one is hard to sit through. Not even a bad watch, this is a straight up disaster! Another reaction questioned whether the film’s lengthy runtime could work in its favour, writing, “By the time #TOXIC ends, if you manage to sit through the entire three-hour runtime, you will not only feel bad for #Yash but also question why you gave this film three hours of your life. It also makes you think about all those hyped pre-release speeches from Yash, director Geetu Mohandas and the entire team. Either they were completely clueless about the final product, or the film leaves you wondering if you are the clueless one. Set in Goa between the 1950s and 1970s, when Portuguese rule was beginning to weaken, Toxic follows Raya, a man who builds his place in the city’s violent criminal world and drug trade. Yash plays two characters in the film — Raya, the older gangster, and Rumi, also known as Ticket, his estranged son who returns with revenge on his mind. The film also features Kiara Advani , Nayanthara, Tara Sutaria, Huma Qureshi and Rukmini Vasanth in key roles. The mixed reactions on social media have not stopped Toxic from making a strong start at the box office.
Director Geethu has delivered a boring film with poorly designed characters, forced bold scenes, and emotionless scenes,” another said.
