After Upendra, Hemanth Rao praises Yash's Toxic as 'a big-screen experience'

Yash's Toxic: A Fairy Tale for Grown-ups released to unfavourable reviews on August 26, but over time, the film seems to have found a section of the audience that appreciates its themes, ambition and the effort behind it. Several members of the Kannada film fraternity have now come out in support of the Geetu Mohandas directorial, and the latest to praise the film is Hemanth Rao, director of the Sapta Saagaradaache Ello films.Hemanth took to X to laud the conviction behind Toxic and praised the performances, particularly Yash's portrayal of Raya. He also singled out the film's final 30 minutes, calling them "beautiful"."Storytelling is about convictions and being brave. Very few walk that path. From producer, director to actors, I'm so amazed by so many decisions that has gone into making #Toxic a reality. What beautiful performances by everybody and man oh man...Raya, the older madder version was soo good. For me, the last half hour was beautiful. Its definitely calls for a big screen experience. Mad respect to #GeetuMohanDas @KvnProductions @TheNameIsYash And @rukminitweets, Rockstar only you were. #Toxic," Hemanth wrote. Hemanth Rao's X post The director's post comes amid heavy speculation online that Yash could collaborate with Hemanth Rao on his next project after Ramayana. There has been no confirmation from either Yash or Hemanth regarding such a collaboration, but the possibility has already excited fans, particularly given Hemanth's reputation for character-driven storytelling and Yash's current push towards more experimental projects. Hemanth's post follows another prominent Kannada filmmaker's praise for Toxic. Actor, writer and director Upendra was among the first major names from the Kannada film industry to publicly back the film after watching it. Known for making films such as Upendra and A, as well as the gangster drama Om, Upendra has built a reputation for unconventional storytelling and psychological themes. His response to Toxic was equally enthusiastic.Taking to X, he wrote, "Watched Toxic. Wow! What a film! A new world. A completely new experience!" Upendra also praised the effort and dedication of the cast and technicians involved in the film, highlighting their love for cinema. "Hats off to Yash and the entire team!" he added. Upendra's X post Upendra and Hemanth Rao are not the only prominent Kannada names to have spoken positively about Toxic. Kichcha Sudeep and Rishab Shetty have also publicly expressed their support for Yash and the film.Toxic released worldwide on August 26 after months of anticipation. Directed by Geetu Mohandas and co-written by Mohandas and Yash, the film stars Yash as Raya, alongside Kiara Advani, Nayanthara, Huma Qureshi, Rukmini Vasanth, Tara Sutaria and Akshay Oberoi.The film has been mounted as a large-scale gangster drama with a distinct visual style and an unconventional narrative. It was made simultaneously in Kannada and English and released in dubbed versions in Hindi, Tamil, Telugu and Malayalam. According to industry tracker Sacnilk, Toxic earned Rs 23 crore nett in India on Day 5, taking its total domestic nett collection to Rs 214.10 crore. Its India gross collection stands at Rs 255.95 crore.The film added Rs 2 crore from overseas markets on Sunday, taking its worldwide gross collection to Rs 285.20 crore. With that, Toxic is now less than Rs 15 crore away from the Rs 300-crore mark globally.- EndsPublished By: Sanjay Ponnappa CSPublished On: Aug 31, 2026 18:59 ISTMUST WATCH: