Mumbai, August 25 - Superstar Yash's Toxic: A Fairy Tale for Grown-Ups is heading into its August 26 theatrical release with strong expectations in the Hindi market. The Geetu Mohandas-directed action thriller has generated considerable buzz ahead of its release, with advance bookings and pre-release momentum suggesting the film could be in for a big opening in North India. After the massive success of KGF: Chapter 2, all eyes are now on whether Yash can translate that star power into another major Hindi-market debut.
The milestone Toxic is targeting is a 30 crore-plus net opening in Hindi, and achieving it would make it the first original South Indian film ever to open above 30 crore net in the Hindi market. So far, only three South Indian films have crossed the 30 crore net opening mark in Hindi, excluding Adipurush — Baahubali 2: The Conclusion, KGF: Chapter 2 and Pushpa 2: The Rule. Importantly, all three were sequels, giving them the advantage of an established franchise and the goodwill generated by their predecessors.
That is what makes Toxic's target particularly significant. Unlike those three films, Toxic is not a sequel and does not have a previously successful Hindi-market chapter building its audience. It is an original story and a new character, with Yash attempting to create a new franchise and cinematic world after the enormous success of the KGF films. Crossing 30 crore net would therefore represent a major validation of his individual pan-India pull.
Top 5 South Indian Openers in Hindi (Net Collection)
| S. No. |
Movie |
Hindi Day 1 Net |
Original Language |
| 1 |
Pushpa 2: The Rule |
₹ 70.30 Cr |
Telugu |
| 2 |
K.G.F: Chapter 2 |
₹ 53.95 Cr |
Kannada |
| 3 |
Baahubali 2: The Conclusion |
₹ 41.00 Cr |
Telugu |
| 4 |
Saaho |
₹ 24.40 Cr |
Telugu |
| 5 |
Kalki 2898 AD |
₹ 22.50 Cr |
Telugu |
However, considering the pre-sales momentum, the film will be looking to score a much bigger opening day, and might top Baahubali 2's 41 crores net. The film has several factors working in its favour. Yash enjoys a strong following in the Hindi belt after KGF: Chapter 1 and KGF: Chapter 2, while Toxic has also benefited from its high-profile cast and controversial content. With no major direct Hindi release competing for the same audience on August 26, the film has the opportunity to maximise its opening-day potential.
For Yash, a 30 crore-plus Hindi opening would be more than just another impressive number. It would establish Toxic as a landmark film in the evolution of South Indian cinema's Hindi-market reach and prove that a South Indian star can now command a big Hindi opening without relying on a sequel to an already successful franchise.
Bollywood
