After Kichcha Sudeepa and Rishab Shetty, Pavan Wadeyar praises Yash’s ‘Toxic’, calls it a ‘daring attempt’: ‘I had tears in my eyes at the end for Raya’ | Kannada Movie News

Yash-starrer ‘Toxic: A Fairy Tale for Grown-Ups’ continues to receive support from members of the Kannada film industry, with filmmaker Pavan Wadeyar being the latest to share his thoughts on Geetu Mohandas’ directorial. After Kichcha Sudeepa, Rishab Shetty and Rakshitha Prem praised the film, the ‘Googly’ director also applauded its ambition, particularly Yash’s dual performance as Raya and Ticket. While Wadeyar felt the writing and editing could have been tighter, he described ‘Toxic’ as a bold and daring attempt and admitted that the film’s climax left him emotional.

Pavan Wadeyar praises ‘Toxic’ after watching it in a packed theatre

Taking to social media, Wadeyar revealed that he watched ‘Toxic’ in a packed theatre and praised the team for attempting something unconventional. He described the film as more than a conventional entertainer, highlighting its psychological and character-driven elements.“Watched Toxic today with packed audience. It really deserves a huge applause for the Daring attempt. Its not just an entertainment film its a psychological journey of strong characters,” he wrote.]]However, the filmmaker also offered a measured assessment of the film, acknowledging areas where he felt it could have been more effective.“I agree the writing and edit could have been crispier, but its a feast to watch our own Yash,” Wadeyar added.‘Yash has really taken over Raya into his blood veins’Wadeyar reserved particular praise for Yash’s performance, saying the actor had completely immersed himself in the character of Raya. He also singled out the dual-role performance, especially Yash’s portrayal of Ticket.“He has really taken over RAYA in to his blood veins. The last 20 mins is truly wonderful, it is really not easy to carry such performance through out the film,” he wrote.Describing Ticket as especially memorable, Wadeyar added, “Especially the character ‘Ticket’ O man.. I am still struck with that…”The filmmaker also revealed that the film’s ending affected him deeply.“I had tears in my eyes at the end for RAYA,” he wrote.

‘Toxic’ continues its box-office run

Wadeyar’s praise comes as ‘Toxic’ continues its theatrical run amid mixed reactions from audiences and critics. The Geetu Mohandas directorial has maintained strong commercial momentum since its release, with reports suggesting that its worldwide gross was nearing the Rs. 300 crore mark within five days. The film’s box-office performance, coupled with the continued discussion around Yash’s performance and its unconventional storytelling, has kept *Toxic* firmly in the spotlight.

Pavan Wadeyar and Yash previously collaborated on ‘Googly’

Wadeyar and Yash share a successful history, having previously collaborated on the 2013 romantic drama ‘Googly’. The film, which starred Yash opposite Kriti Kharbanda, became a major commercial success and emerged as an important milestone in the actor’s career. Their earlier collaboration also established a creative association that Wadeyar has continued to speak warmly about over the years.

Pavan Wadeyar’s National Award-winning film ‘Dollu’

Apart from directing commercial entertainers, Wadeyar has also made his mark as a producer. His production ‘Dollu’ won the National Film Award for Best Kannada Feature Film at the 68th National Film Awards. The filmmaker had previously spoken about Yash’s commitment to his characters. In 2020, while discussing the possibility of a sequel to ‘Googly’, Wadeyar said he could not imagine anyone else playing Sharath.“I can’t imagine anybody else apart from Yash. He fulfilled the complete characterisation of Sharath,” he had said.

About ‘Toxic: A Fairy Tale for Grown-Ups’

Directed by Geetu Mohandas, ‘Toxic: A Fairy Tale for Grown-Ups’ features Yash in dual roles as Raya and Ticket. The film also stars Kiara Advani, Nayanthara, Huma Qureshi, Tara Sutaria and Rukmini Vasanth in key roles. Produced by Venkat K Narayana and Yash under KVN Productions and Monster Mind Creations LLP, ‘Toxic’ blends gangster drama, psychological elements and stylised action, marking a major collaboration between Yash and Geetu Mohandas.