Director – Geetu Mohandas, Cast – Yash, Kiara Advani, Nayanthara, Huma Qureshi, Tara Sutaria, Rukmini Vasanth, Duration – 3h14m, Rating – 4.5

It isn’t an Amar Chitra Katha, but truly a fairy tale for grown-ups — not just in the visual spectacle it promises, but in the layered and complex human emotions that drive its story.

Toxic: A Fairy Tale for Grown-Ups doesn’t fit neatly into one genre. At its heart, it is a Action drama, but the film expands beyond that, weaving together action, love, family, and layered storytelling into a world where every character has a story of their own. Geetu Mohandas brings all these elements together with a distinct visual and narrative style.

Yash takes on a dual role as Raya and his son Ticket, bringing contrasting energies to the film. While Raya anchors the gangster world, Ticket adds another emotional layer to the story.

The film takes its time building its world, allowing its characters and motivations to unfold naturally. Nayanthara’s Ganga and Kiara Advani’s Nadia add emotional depth, with Kiara bringing warmth and vulnerability to her part. Huma Qureshi’s Elizabeth brings a strong presence to the narrative, holding her own within the film’s layered world. Rukmini Vasanth, meanwhile, emerges as a surprise package as Mellisa, bringing an understated yet impactful performance. Tara Sutaria’s Rebecca, Akshay Oberoi’s Tony, Darrell D’Silva’s Salvador and Sudev Nair’s Karmadi each bring their own arc to the story, making Toxic feel like a larger, layered narrative.

The first half has a distinctly massy flavour while keeping the storytelling layered. Geetu Mohandas allows the drama, relationships and gangster elements to simmer before building towards a massive interval block. It is the kind of interval that makes you sit up and wonder what comes next — leaving you wanting more.

But it is the second half that takes Toxic to another level.

The action becomes bigger, more intense, and far more ferocious. What begins as a gangster drama gradually transforms into something much more primal and explosive. The scale is massive, but it is the sheer intensity of the sequences that really stands out. There is a rawness to the world Geetu creates, and the film fully embraces that energy.

At the same time, Toxic never loses its emotional core. Love, family, loyalty, and desire remain woven into the larger gangster narrative, giving the action a personal stake. The relationships between Raya, Ticket, Ganga and Nadia add an emotional layer to what could otherwise have been a straight-up action-driven story.

And just when you think you have figured out where the story is headed, Toxic keeps you guessing. The climax takes an unpredictable turn, adding another layer to the narrative and leaving you with plenty to take away once the film ends. It is a finale that stays with you, rather than simply being about the spectacle of the moment.

Yash anchors the film with a commanding screen presence, shifting between quieter emotional moments and larger-than-life action with ease. His dual performance gives the film another layer, particularly as the differences between Raya and Ticket begin to emerge.

Geetu Mohandas clearly has a larger canvas in mind with Toxic. The storytelling is layered, the characters are given their own arcs, and the film constantly reveals new pieces of its world. It doesn’t always spell everything out, instead trusting the audience to stay with it and connect the dots.

KVN Productions and Monster Mind Creations LLP deserve credit for backing a film that aims big and delivers a memorable theatrical experience, and with Yash leading the charge and Geetu Mohandas weaving together gangster drama, love, layered storytelling, and massive action, Toxic emerges as a massy, primal, and ambitious cinematic experience that is now playing in theatres worldwide.

Mumbai, Aug 25: Actor Emraan Hashmi has unveiled the first glimpse of his upcoming action entertainer ‘Gunmaster G9.’

The glimpse sets the tone for an action-packed narrative while also teasing the chemistry between Hashmi and the film’s lead cast. Taking to Instagram, Emraan shared the teaser, writing, “The World of G9 Begins. Romance. Music. Action.#GunmaasterG9 brings it all together in a story that’s ready to take you on a ride. In cinemas 27th November 2026.#G9 #Gunmaaster Produced by @deepakmukut @hunarmukut @sangeetaahirofficial Presented by @sohamrockstrent Pvt Ltd.”

Soham Rockstar Entertainment Pvt. Ltd. and Deepak Mukut have reunited Emraan Hashmi, Himesh Reshammiya and Datt nearly two decades after their first collaboration in 2005 on “Gunmaaster G9.” The reunion also marks another musical collaboration between Hashmi and Reshammiya, with Himesh composing the music for the upcoming film.

Producer Deepak Mukut said, “With the teaser of Gunmaaster G9 we have kickstarted the film’s promotional campaign. This will build anticipation for the film, as the teaser has all the ingredients that make Gunmaaster G9 a big screen experience.”

Director Aditya Datt added, “Gunmaaster G9 is a film which will see Emraan Hashmi leaves no stone unturned in protecting the love of his life from everything that threatens her. The film combines action, romance and music to give all Emraan Hashmi fans a complete entertainer.”

Emraan Hashmi said, “Adi and I have worked together in the past and we share a wonderful relationship as creative collaborators. We get each other intrinsically and when we are on set, we bring out the best in each other. I play Eshwar in the film— an ordinary dairy farm owner who is willing to go to any lengths for his beloved.”

“Gunmaaster G9” stars Emraan Hashmi, Genelia D’Souza, Aparshakti Khurana and Abhishek Singh. The film is produced by Deepak Mukut, Hunar Mukut and Sangeeta Ahir, and presented by Soham Rockstar Entertainment Pvt. Ltd. Directed by Aditya Datt, the action romance is slated for a worldwide theatrical release on November 27, 2026.

Mumbai, Aug 25: Veteran actor-filmmaker Anupam Kher reflects on his evolution as an actor, opening up about how his approach to the craft has changed over the years and added that he has become more relaxed and curious about the art of acting.

Anupam took to Instagram, where he shared a motley of pictures featuring the characters he has played over the years in Hindi cinema. He also looked back at his journey from the National School of Drama to the present and said that he now feels less pressure to prove himself.

He wrote as the caption: “HEART AND CRAFT OF AN ACTOR! Actors are vulnerable people. We willingly expose emotions that most people spend their lives trying to hide. Grief, fear, jealousy, love, joy, insecurity… we have to go looking for them inside ourselves. So yes, I think actors are also very brave.”

The actor said: “Of course, acting can bring fame, money and luxury. But none of these can help you when the camera comes close and you have to reveal something truthful. For that you need craft, but you also need a certain kind of heart. Sometimes even a broken one!”

He revealed that in the earlier years of his career, he thought he was in a hurry to prove himself.

“I had come into films with no godfather, but with the training and confidence of the #NationalSchoolOfDrama. Somewhere I was constantly saying, “Look what I can do. Look how different I can be.”

The actor said: “Maybe that was necessary then. But over the last ten years, something has changed. I am much more relaxed. I don’t feel the same need to impress. Instead, I have started enjoying the uncertainty of a character—his silences, contradictions, weaknesses, even his foolishness. I challenge myself more now, but strangely, with much less anxiety.”

“Perhaps that is one of the nicer things about growing older as an actor: you stop trying to show how much you know… and start becoming curious about how much you still don’t know. Here are a few faces from that journey. Each one taught me something new about acting! And about myself. Enjoy.”