Bengaluru: Yash’s much-awaited Kannada film Toxic: A Fairy Tale for Grown-Ups witnessed a significant slowdown in its box-office performance on the third day of its theatrical run, after opening with an impressive ₹101.10 crore net collection in India on Wednesday.
Directed by Geetu Mohandas, the period gangster drama was released in theatres on August 26, 2026, amid considerable anticipation among Yash’s fans and Kannada cinema audiences. While the film recorded a massive opening day, its collections declined considerably on Thursday and continued to remain subdued on Friday, according to live figures reported by Sacnilk and cited by NDTV Profit.
As of the latest update on Friday afternoon, Toxic had collected ₹4.92 crore net in India on Day 3. The figure was still live and the final collection for Friday was yet to be reported. At that stage, the film’s total India net collection had reached ₹143.67 crore, while its India gross collection stood at ₹171.66 crore.
The sharp decline has put the focus on the weekend. With Saturday and Sunday ahead, the film will be looking for a substantial increase in occupancy and collections to maintain the momentum created by its opening.
Day-wise collection shows a major drop
Toxic began its theatrical journey with a strong ₹101.10 crore net collection in India on its opening day. The film recorded 56.1% overall occupancy across 24,579 shows on Wednesday, demonstrating the scale of anticipation surrounding Yash’s latest release.
However, the second day brought a considerable correction. The film earned ₹37.65 crore net on Thursday, while occupancy fell to 26.6%. The number of shows also declined to 22,629.
On Friday, the slowdown became more pronounced. The live Day 3 collection stood at ₹4.92 crore at the time of the NDTV Profit report, with overall occupancy at 15%. The film was running across 9,559 theatres and the final Friday figure had not yet been released.
The numbers show that Toxic has experienced a steep fall from its opening-day performance. However, early Friday figures should not be treated as the final Day 3 result, as evening and night shows can significantly affect a film’s daily earnings.
Hindi version leads Friday collections
The Hindi version of Toxic was the biggest contributor to the film’s Day 3 live collection.
According to the figures cited by NDTV Profit, the Hindi version had earned ₹3.13 crore net by the time of the report. It recorded 14% occupancy across 7,136 shows.
The Kannada version, which represents the film’s original language and Yash’s core market, collected ₹1.14 crore at the same stage. It recorded a stronger occupancy of 24% across 687 shows.
The Telugu version contributed ₹45 lakh from 914 shows, with occupancy at 18%. The Tamil version added ₹20 lakh from 822 shows, recording 13% occupancy.
The language-wise figures highlight the broad pan-India reach of Toxic. Although the film is rooted in Kannada cinema, its release across multiple languages has allowed it to tap into audiences beyond Karnataka.
Weekend holds the key for Toxic
The biggest question now is whether Toxic can recover during the first weekend.
Friday is generally considered an important indicator for a film entering its first weekend, but collections can rise sharply on Saturday and Sunday if audience interest remains strong.
For Toxic, the weekend will be particularly important because the film’s opening day created extremely high expectations. A ₹101.10 crore net opening established a strong base, but the subsequent fall means the film needs healthy weekend numbers to sustain its theatrical run.
A significant Saturday jump could indicate that the film is benefiting from weekend footfalls. Conversely, limited growth could raise questions about its ability to maintain momentum over the coming week.
The film’s performance will also depend on audience word-of-mouth, particularly because its opening-day audience response has been mixed.
What is Toxic about?
Toxic: A Fairy Tale for Grown-Ups is directed by Geetu Mohandas and is set against the backdrop of Goa between the 1940s and 1970s.
The film is described as a period gangster drama and features Yash in a dual role. Its ensemble cast includes Kiara Advani, Nayanthara, Huma Qureshi, Tara Sutaria and Rukmini Vasanth.
The film was shot in Kannada and English and released in multiple Indian languages. With a reported runtime of 3 hours and 14 minutes, Toxic is also one of the more ambitious mainstream Kannada productions in terms of scale and presentation.
Yash’s presence has been one of the biggest factors behind the film’s extensive pre-release buzz. Following the success of the KGF franchise, expectations around his next major project have been exceptionally high.
That anticipation translated into strong advance bookings and a major opening-day response.
Yash’s star power drives the opening
Yash has established himself as one of the biggest stars to emerge from the Kannada film industry in recent years.
The success of KGF: Chapter 1 and KGF: Chapter 2 transformed his standing beyond Karnataka and helped establish Kannada films as major pan-India theatrical products.
Toxic represents his next major attempt to build on that popularity.
The ₹101.10 crore opening-day net collection demonstrates the strength of his theatrical appeal. However, sustaining that momentum is a different challenge.
A film can attract large numbers of fans on its opening day because of advance bookings and first-day excitement. Subsequent collections are often more dependent on general audience reception, repeat viewings and word-of-mouth publicity.
This makes the first weekend particularly significant for Toxic.
Mixed reactions add another challenge
The film has generated considerable discussion since its release, with audience reactions ranging from appreciation for its visual ambition and performances to criticism of its narrative and execution.
Recent reports have also highlighted debates surrounding certain scenes and the film’s overall creative approach.
Such divided reactions can influence box-office performance after the initial fan-driven rush.
At the same time, mixed reviews do not necessarily prevent a film from succeeding commercially. Strong weekend occupancy can change the trajectory if audiences respond positively enough to sustain demand.
For Toxic, the key will be whether the film can convert its enormous opening-day curiosity into sustained theatrical interest.
Film’s total collection crosses ₹143 crore net
Despite the Day 3 slowdown, Toxic has already crossed ₹143 crore in India net collections based on the live figures available by Friday afternoon.
The reported ₹143.67 crore net total means the film has accumulated a substantial amount within its first three days, even though its daily earnings have fallen sharply. Its India gross collection stood at ₹171.66 crore at the same point.
It is important to note that the ₹143.67 crore figure is based on the available live Day 3 data and can change once the final Friday numbers are reported.
The final weekend figures will provide a clearer picture of the film’s commercial trajectory.
Can Toxic regain momentum?
The immediate challenge for Toxic is to turn its opening-day strength into sustained business.
A strong Saturday would provide an encouraging sign, particularly if occupancy increases substantially across major markets. Sunday could then provide another opportunity for the film to strengthen its overall first-weekend total.
Karnataka remains particularly important because of Yash’s strong regional fan base, while the Hindi market is also crucial for the film’s pan-India ambitions.
The Day 3 language figures show that Hindi is currently contributing the largest share of the live Friday earnings, while Kannada continues to register the highest occupancy among the major language versions listed in the report.
The performance of these markets over the weekend could determine whether the film experiences a recovery or continues on a downward trend.
Conclusion
Toxic: A Fairy Tale for Grown-Ups has made a strong start overall but is facing a sharp slowdown by its third day in theatres.
The Yash-starrer opened with ₹101.10 crore net in India on Wednesday before earning ₹37.65 crore on Thursday. By Friday afternoon, its live Day 3 collection stood at ₹4.92 crore, taking its India net total to ₹143.67 crore and gross collection to ₹171.66 crore. The final Day 3 figures are still awaited.
With the weekend now underway, Saturday and Sunday will be crucial. A strong jump could help the film regain momentum and strengthen its position at the box office, while continued subdued occupancy could indicate that the initial opening-day rush has faded.
For Yash and the team behind Toxic, the weekend will therefore be an important test of whether the film can turn its huge opening into a sustained theatrical success.