Sandalwood superstar Yash has made a thunderous return to the silver screen after nearly four years, with his action thriller Toxic crossing the Rs 100 crore mark at the Indian box office on its opening day. Despite ongoing debates and mixed reviews surrounding the film's intense violence and explicit scenes, audience enthusiasm swept aside all controversies. Releasing on the festive occasion of Onam, the film drew packed houses across the country and set multiple new box office benchmarks.
Domestic Net Collection Surpasses Rs 100 Crore
The hype surrounding Toxic was evident right from early morning screenings as theaters reported nationwide housefull shows. According to initial box office figures, Toxic generated a net collection of Rs 101.10 crore in India on Day 1. The strong turnout demonstrates that Yash's massive star power successfully drew audiences to theaters, completely overcoming online controversies and polarized critical responses.
Hindi Circuit Drives Maximum Revenue
The Hindi dub version emerged as the single largest contributor to the film's first-day earnings, generating Rs 55 crore net. This highlighted Yash's expanded fan base across Northern India following his previous successes. Meanwhile, the film's original Kannada version registered a net collection slightly below Rs 23.30 crore within India. Although the net revenue in Kannada was lower than in Hindi, theater occupancy across Karnataka reached a striking 89% throughout the day.
Regional markets across South India also posted substantial numbers. The Telugu dub collected Rs 16 crore net on its first day, while the Tamil version brought in Rs 5.50 crore. The Malayalam version recorded the lowest regional contribution at Rs 1.30 crore net in Kerala. Across all languages combined, the total domestic net business reached Rs 101.10 crore.
Outperforming Pathaan, Animal, and Jawan
With its Day 1 performance, Toxic eclipsed the opening day records of several Indian cinema blockbusters. Early morning show trends initially crossed the opening figures of Dhurandhar, after which the overall daily collection surpassed Shah Rukh Khan's Pathaan (Rs 57 crore), Ranbir Kapoor's Animal (Rs 63.80 crore), Shah Rukh Khan's Jawan (Rs 75 crore), and Prabhas's epic fantasy Kalki 2898 AD (Rs 95.30 crore).
However, Toxic fell slightly short of dethroning two major records. It could not surpass Yash's own earlier release KGF Chapter 2, which holds an opening day record of Rs 116 crore net in India. Additionally, Toxic missed out on beating the opening day figure of Ranveer Singh's spy thriller Dhurandhar 2: The Revenge, which debuted at Rs 102.55 crore net.
Prequel Hype and 18 Lakh Advance Tickets Sold
The massive opening day turnout was foreshadowed by unprecedented pre-sale numbers. Advance bookings opened on Friday, August 21 at 6 AM and ran until Wednesday morning. Within those five days, over 18 lakh (1.8 million) tickets were sold nationwide, generating approximately Rs 60 crore in gross business prior to the movie's theatrical release.
Star Cast, CBFC Certification, and Yash's Screen Comeback
Directed by acclaimed filmmaker Geethu Mohandas, Toxic is a large-scale Kannada action thriller featuring an ensemble cast from both South Indian and Hindi cinema. Alongside Yash, the film stars Kiara Advani, Huma Qureshi, Tara Sutaria, and Akshay Oberoi in key roles, with Nayanthara and Rukmini Vasanth also making prominent appearances.
Prior to release, the movie generated significant discussion due to its dark themes, graphic sequences, and bold dialogues. However, the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) cleared the film with an 'A' (Adults Only) certificate without ordering any cuts. Toxic marks Yash's first film release in nearly four years following KGF Chapter 2, which earned over Rs 1200 crore globally during its theatrical run.
