‘Toxic is far ahead of its time’: Sumalatha tells Yash to take negative talk with a pinch of salt, hails his performance

Toxic , which was supposed to be Yash's next big success after the KGF movies, has been hit with a storm of bad reviews and worse fan reactions. The film is also not setting the box office on fire like it was expected to. Amid all this, several actors came in defense of Yash for trying something out of the box and praised his performance. Now actor and former Lok Sabha MP Sumalatha has come out in support of Yash.

Taking to her Instagram account, Sumalatha wrote a long note. It read, “My dear Yash, Just watched Toxic and wanted to tell you this. I always knew you were fearless, and that you would choose to tread your own path rather than follow anyone else’s. But in this movie, what stood out for me above everything was you. Your performance was outstanding — truly mind-blowing. The entire film is a vibrant visual spectacle and, without doubt, a significant milestone for you and the filmmaker. But I cannot tell you how proud I felt watching you outshine yourself in every frame. You have evolved and grown so much as an actor, and watching that journey fills my heart with immense pride.”

She went on to add, "You are also one of the smartest and sanest people I have ever come across, and I am sure you are taking all the surrounding negative talk with a pinch of salt. Perhaps Toxic is simply far ahead of its time. Or perhaps parts of it have been misunderstood or unfairly judged by those who are uncomfortable with what you have become...or might become yet. Success like your will attract all kinds of jealousy too. But I know you are not one to care for that.

Whatever it is, I have absolutely no doubt that you will overcome all of it and emerge bigger and stronger. You will hit the ball right out of the ground again — I have no doubts about that. For now, take a bow. Kudos to you for the sheer effort, conviction and hard work that have gone into this. Don’t stop now… or ever. Keep rocking. I will always be watching with love and immense pride. Sending you lots of hugs."

Toxic: A Fairy Tale for Grown-Ups is a gangster film directed by Geetu Mohandas . The film features Yash in dual roles and also stars Kiara Advani, Nayanthara, Huma Qureshi, Tara Sutaria and Rukmini Vasanth, among others. The film is jointly produced by Venkat K Narayana and Yash under KVN Productions and Monster Mind Creations LLP. It was released in theatres on August 26 for Onam.

Santanu Das is a Senior Content Producer at Hindustan Times with over 5 years of experience, writing on films, pop culture and film festivals. He has a keen interest in writing about South Asian independent films and has covered several film festivals, including Sundance and CPH: Docx. He also brings a sharp perspective to the monthly column called The Fault in Our Stars, where he writes about a recent film/series and what stops the ‘good’ from becoming ‘great’. A gold medalist from Banaras Hindu University, Santanu completed his postgraduate studies in English from Jadavpur University. He is also a Rotten Tomatoes-certified film critic. When not watching films or speaking to celebrities, Santanu can be found reading a book.