Yash’s most ambitious project, Toxic: A Fairy Tale for Grown-Ups, is all set to hit theatres worldwide tomorrow, with shows scheduled as early as 6 am at multiple locations. Ahead of its release, the film has already earned over Rs 40 crore through advance bookings. The buzz around the film has been massive, not just in Karnataka but also across Hindi-speaking states. Toxic marks Yash’s return to the big screen after nearly four years. He was last seen in KGF: Chapter 2.

For Kannadigas, the film is a matter of pride, with a Kannada actor and a Kannada film making an ambitious attempt to reach a massive global audience.

Speaking to SCREEN, Ramakrishna DK, a member of the Karnataka Producers Association, said, “It is a matter of pride that a hero from our region has reached Bollywood and Hollywood level. It is inspiring to see how a bus driver’s son has gone on to become a huge star.”

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The excitement is such that despite multiple Kannada films releasing just last week, more than 90% of exhibitors have planned to prioritise Toxic over other Kannada releases.

“Several theatres have reached a point where they are on the verge of shutting down. At a point like this, Toxic has come as a boon. Nobody will let go of a movie this huge. The shows for the first day are already sold out,” he said.

According to industry members in Karnataka, Yash’s ambitious attempt could motivate several other regional actors and filmmakers to dream bigger and attempt something extraordinary.

Toxic @ box office: What trade expects

Meanwhile, in the Hindi-speaking states, shows are yet to fill up at the same pace. Despite the relatively slow start, trade analysts are hopeful that the film will open to at least Rs 40 crore in the Hindi market.

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Film trade analyst Girish Johar told SCREEN, “Advance ticket sales are very good, with a collection of over Rs 30 crore in all languages, which is second best to Dhurandhar 2. We are expecting a good start. While Kannada earnings will be number one, Hindi is also looking at Rs 30 crore, which is a good number.”

“Yash has achieved the action hero status with KGF. The ensemble cast is only going to add to the hype of the film,” he added.

Meanwhile, trade analyst Komal Nahta believes Toxic could overshadow the other films currently playing in theatres. “There is a huge buzz for all the versions. It is bound to wipe out all other films,” he said.

Nahta appeared to be referring to Awarapan 2, the only Hindi film currently performing strongly at the box office since its release on August 14. Toxic could also affect the run of Sunny Deol’s Batwara 1947, which has been struggling at the box office since its release.

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According to industry tracker Sacnilk, Toxic has earned Rs 34 crore through advance bookings, with an additional Rs 9 crore coming from block seats, taking its total advance sales to Rs 43.64 crore.

The film is witnessing a strong response in states such as Bihar. More than 141 of the 402 shows tracked there are almost full, while another 75 shows are filling fast. Bihar has previously played a crucial role in boosting the box office collections of films such as Pushpa, with the makers even organising special events to celebrate the audience’s response.

However, Karnataka is expected to be the biggest contributor to Toxic. According to Sacnilk, more than 1,189 shows are almost full, while another 349 are filling fast. The film, however, is not witnessing the same level of buzz in Tamil Nadu and the Telugu-speaking states.

In Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, Toxic is set to face competition from Ravi Teja’s recently released film Irumudi, which is reportedly performing well at the box office. While there were earlier reports of a screen-sharing tussle with Irumudi, Toxic has now finally opened for online bookings in the Telugu-speaking states.

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Anupam VR, a veteran trade analyst in the Telugu states, said the film’s performance in Andhra Pradesh has been particularly impressive, with collections and occupancy already surpassing the benchmark set by the KGF franchise. Speaking to SCREEN, he said, “Sales in Andhra Pradesh have been excellent. The response has been even better than what we saw for KGF and KGF 2, with occupancy currently around 90%. At this pace, the film is expected to reach its break-even point within just two days.”

Sunil Narang, one of the state’s veteran distributors and theatre owners, echoed the sentiment. Speaking to SCREEN, he said, “Telangana is seeing a good number of shows, and we are adding more even as we speak because the demand is crazy. Shows are starting as early as 6 am, and several screens are already running houseful. The response has been extremely strong, and the demand continues to build.”

A similar trend is being witnessed in Kerala.

A Kerala distributor told SCREEN, “The response in Kerala has been very encouraging right from the first shows. Occupancy has been strong across major centres, and we are seeing a steady increase in demand as the day progresses. Several shows are filling up quickly, and if this momentum continues, we expect the film to have a very strong opening weekend in the state.”

Toxic advance booking: Yash’s KGF stardom on display

Industry experts believe much of the film’s pull can be attributed to Yash’s stardom, which he established globally with the KGF franchise. The film is witnessing a phenomenal response on BookMyShow. As of now, it has sold more than seven lakh tickets, placing it among the top pre-sales performers in recent history.

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According to Sacnilk, the film has secured a place in the elite top 10 list of all-time pre-sales, surpassing major blockbusters such as Kalki 2898 AD and Jawan. Around 3,46,410 tickets were sold on August 21 alone, followed by steady sales over the next two days.

PVR leads the way with a gross of approximately Rs 7.90 crore from more than 1,700 shows, while INOX has contributed around Rs 5.40 crore. Cinepolis, meanwhile, has contributed approximately Rs 1.85 crore.

Toxic overseas advance booking

On the international front, Toxic is breaking barriers even before its first show. In the UK, it is officially set to become one of the biggest Indian releases in history, with more than 400 screens — a scale that was previously unprecedented for a Kannada film. The film has received an 18+ certificate in the UK for excessive injury, violence and sexual violence.

According to Venky Box Office, the film has already grossed $292,541 across 362 locations and 873 shows, with more than 13,000 tickets sold. Meanwhile, the Telugu and Kannada versions are leading the charge in the US market.

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If the trend continues, Yash’s Toxic could comfortably cross the Rs 100 crore mark worldwide on its opening day.