Bengaluru: Yash-starrer Toxic: A Fairy Tale for Grown-Ups has suffered another setback at the box office, with the film’s English version reportedly being removed from theatres after a weak first-week performance.

The English version, which was released in selected theatres on September 4, reportedly managed only around ₹3.16 lakh during its first week. The poor response has led to the version being withdrawn from cinemas, adding to the commercial difficulties faced by the high-budget Kannada film.

Directed by Geetu Mohandas and starring Yash in the lead, Toxic was among the most anticipated Indian films of 2026. However, the film’s theatrical performance has fallen significantly short of expectations despite its scale, star cast and extensive pre-release buzz.

English version struggles at the box office

Toxic was filmed in both Kannada and English, with the English version receiving a limited theatrical release after the film’s original multi-language rollout.

However, the English cut failed to attract a sizeable audience. Reports indicate that it earned only about ₹3.16 lakh in its first week, resulting in its removal from theatres.

The poor performance comes despite the film being positioned as a global-facing project. The makers had reportedly planned the English version as part of their effort to reach audiences beyond India’s traditional regional-language markets.

The decision to withdraw the English version highlights the difficulty of sustaining theatrical interest when a film is already experiencing a sharp decline in audience footfall.

Toxic faces bigger box-office challenge

The English version’s performance is only one part of the larger commercial challenge confronting Toxic.

The film opened strongly but witnessed a considerable drop after its first day. By its second week, collections had slowed substantially. According to recent box-office tracking, the film earned ₹8.94 crore during its second week in India, while its Day 16 collection was around ₹39 lakh.

By Day 17, Toxic had reportedly reached approximately ₹248.50 crore in India net collections and ₹340.10 crore worldwide. While those figures are substantial in absolute terms, they remain underwhelming for a production of this scale.

The film’s slowdown has been attributed in reports to mixed audience response, negative word-of-mouth and competition from newer releases.

Reports point to major financial losses

The film’s reported financial difficulties have also raised questions about the recovery of its production and distribution costs.

Several reports have placed the film’s production budget at around ₹500 crore or more, although estimates vary. Some reports have subsequently suggested that the makers could face losses of around ₹300 crore after accounting for theatrical performance and other revenue streams.

The ₹300-crore loss figure should, however, be treated as a reported estimate rather than an officially confirmed financial statement from the producers.

The gap between the film’s reported investment and its theatrical earnings has become a major talking point in the industry.

OTT deal takes another hit

The film’s difficulties have reportedly extended to the streaming market as well.

Before its theatrical release, expectations surrounding Toxic‘s digital rights were reportedly high, with figures of around ₹200 crore being discussed in industry reports.

Following the film’s disappointing box-office performance, however, reports have claimed that the value of potential OTT rights has dropped sharply. One recent report said the film had received an offer of around ₹30 crore, although an official streaming agreement had not been confirmed.

Another report similarly said the OTT valuation had fallen significantly following the film’s theatrical performance.

If confirmed, such a decline would represent another major setback for the film’s overall revenue prospects.

Yash and Geetu Mohandas film had huge expectations

Toxic was expected to be one of the biggest Indian releases of the year.

The film brought together Yash following the enormous success of the KGF franchise and director Geetu Mohandas, known for her acclaimed filmmaking. The cast also includes Nayanthara, Kiara Advani, Huma Qureshi, Tara Sutaria and Rukmini Vasanth.

The project attracted attention because of its ambitious scale, international positioning and unusual decision to shoot extensively in both Kannada and English.

The film was also expected to benefit from Yash’s pan-Indian popularity following KGF: Chapter 2.

However, the theatrical response has not matched the expectations created before release.

Film continues to earn despite slowdown

Despite the difficulties, Toxic has not completely stopped generating theatrical revenue.

Recent box-office figures indicate that the film crossed ₹248 crore in India net collections by Day 17, while its worldwide gross had crossed ₹340 crore.

The figures show that the film has attracted a sizeable audience, but the central issue remains whether its total revenue will be sufficient to recover the large investment reportedly made on the project.

The continued decline in daily collections makes a significant theatrical recovery increasingly difficult.

English version withdrawal adds to setbacks

The removal of the English version is particularly significant because it was intended to broaden the film’s reach.

Its poor first-week performance suggests that the version failed to establish a sustainable audience in the selected markets where it was screened.

For the makers, the immediate focus is now likely to shift towards maximising remaining theatrical revenue and securing the best possible value from digital and other post-theatrical rights.

The film’s performance could also influence future decisions regarding the release strategy for large-scale Indian films that are simultaneously targeting domestic and international audiences.

Conclusion

Yash’s Toxic has faced another setback with its English version reportedly being withdrawn from theatres after earning only around ₹3.16 lakh in its first week. While the film has crossed ₹340 crore worldwide, its high reported production cost and declining theatrical collections have led to reports of substantial losses and a sharp fall in its potential OTT valuation.