Advance bookings for Toxic open on Friday ahead of a worldwide release on 26 August, closing a long delay for a film whose schedule was reshaped in part by the war between the United States and Iran.
The Kannada-language gangster film is expected to open across roughly 12,000 screens, among the widest releases ever attempted by an Indian production.
Why was it delayed?
Toxic was first set for 19 March, then moved to 4 June, then to 26 August. The producers said in a statement on 4 March that instability in the Middle East following the American and Israeli strikes on Iran had made a smooth wide release difficult.
The Gulf is among the largest overseas markets for Indian cinema, and the film was shot in both Kannada and English with an international audience in mind. Airlines cancelled routes and airspace closed across the region through the spring and summer.
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Advance bookings | 21 August 2026 |
| Release | 26 August 2026 |
| Screens | About 12,000 worldwide |
| Reported budget | Around 800 crore rupees |
| Earlier dates | 19 March, then 4 June |
When does Toxic release and what is at stake?
Toxic: A Fairy Tale for Grown-Ups, directed by Geetu Mohandas and starring Yash in a dual role, releases in cinemas worldwide on 26 August 2026, with advance bookings opening on 21 August. The film is expected to open across approximately 12,000 screens. Reported budgets have risen to around 800 crore rupees, which would place it among the most expensive Indian films produced. It was originally scheduled for 19 March 2026, then moved to 4 June, with producers citing instability in Middle Eastern markets following United States and Israeli strikes on Iran as a reason for the postponement. The release date coincides with Eid-e-Milad, Onam, Varamahalakshmi and Raksha Bandhan, creating an extended holiday window. It is Yash’s first film since KGF: Chapter 2 in 2022, which opened to 116 crore rupees in India.
What are the expectations?
Trade analysts differ. Some project an opening above 100 crore rupees in India, which would challenge the 116 crore taken by KGF: Chapter 2. Others expect the Hindi version alone to take 17 to 30 crore, well below the 53.95 crore that film managed in Hindi.
The gap reflects genuine uncertainty. Yash has not appeared on screen in over four years, and the trailer drew a mixed reception when it launched in Bengaluru this month.
The reported budget has risen through the production, from figures around 500 to 600 crore to around 800 crore. Recovering that requires a strong run in the Hindi belt rather than the Kannada market alone.
What else is on the calendar?
The 26 August date is a Wednesday chosen to sit inside an extended festival corridor covering Eid-e-Milad, Onam, Varamahalakshmi and Raksha Bandhan.
Yash appears again in November as Ravana in Nitesh Tiwari’s Ramayana, which would give him two major releases as an antagonist within three months.
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The Redline News Desk
The Redline News desk files and edits world reporting. Every story carries the sources it was built from, and corrections are published on the story itself.
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