Actor Yash has addressed the debate around the intimate scenes in his upcoming film Toxic: A Fairy Tale for Grown-Ups, saying he stepped out of his comfort zone because the story demanded it and that his wife Radhika Pandit, herself an actor, understands the difference between her husband and the character he plays on screen. The comments come amid weeks of online discussion over the film’s romantic sequences.

“I think every partner would feel uncomfortable about this. I don’t want to lie. Every partner feels that way,” Yash said in a conversation with Rajat Sharma in Aap ki Adalat, adding, “But I think, by the end of the day, we have to understand that it’s a craft. It’s an art, and what we’re trying to achieve with this is very, very different.”

He went on to explain why he chose to step outside the boundaries he had set for himself earlier in his career. “Some things people do because they believe in them. Some things people do because they know about them. Some things are done just because even the next generation looks up to it and learns from it. So some things have to be recorded, and I feel this story is important,” he said.

Yash admitted the process was not easy for him personally. “I’ve also stepped out of my comfort zone. It’s not easy for me to do these things, but the story demands it, and it’s a crucial part of it,” he said.

On Radhika’s reaction specifically, he was candid. “Of course, she won’t be happy about it, but that doesn’t mean she’s upset or anything, because she trusts me. The important thing is, she’s also an actor. She understands it’s a job, and when I’m performing, it’s an actor doing their part. It’s not her husband,” he said.

He also positioned Toxic as a film made specifically for the younger generation. “Toxic is for Gen Z. It’s for the conversations you guys are having, what problems you guys have with the seniors,” he added

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Yash and Radhika Pandit  first met on the sets of the Kannada television show Nanda Gokula and later worked together in films including Moggina Manasu and Mr. and Mrs. Ramachari. They married in a private ceremony in Bengaluru in December 2016 and have two children, daughter Ayra and son Yatharv. Radhika has largely stepped back from acting since their marriage, focusing on family and the couple’s production ventures.

At the Bengaluru trailer launch event , Yash had turned emotional while thanking Radhika for supporting him through the demanding Toxic shoot. “I want to thank my wife,” he had said, before adding with a laugh, “It’s not easy to be my friend only. It’s not easy to be associated with me.”

About Toxic

Toxic: A Fairy Tale for Grown-Ups, directed by Geetu Mohandas and co-written by Yash and Mohandas, is a period gangster drama that marks Yash’s return to the big screen after a four-year gap since KGF: Chapter 2 (2022). The film stars Yash in a dual role alongside Kiara Advani, Nayanthara, Huma Qureshi, Tara Sutaria and Rukmini Vasanth. The music is composed by Ravi Basrur, Vishal Mishra, Tanishk Bagchi and others, with cinematography by Rajeev Ravi and editing by Ujwal Kulkarni. The film is produced by Venkat K. Narayana and Yash under KVN Productions and Monster Mind Creations.

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It was originally scheduled for March 2026 but was postponed twice before settling on August 26. It will release simultaneously in Kannada and English, with dubbed versions in Hindi, Telugu, Tamil and Malayalam.