Yash’s most anticipated film Toxic, directed by Geetu Mohandas, was released in theatres yesterday amid huge expectations. The film opened with strong advance bookings and recorded massive numbers on Day 1. However, the early response has been mixed, with the film now facing the usual word-of-mouth test after a big opening.
Since Toxic is Yash‘s immediate film after the blockbuster KGF franchise, expectations around the film were extremely high. Many fans and trade circles believed that the film had the potential to cross 1000 crores at the box office and give Yash back-to-back 1000 crore grossers.
During the promotions, the Toxic team also showed strong confidence in the film. At the Telugu pre-release event, Dil Raju, who acquired the Telugu distribution rights, stated that Toxic could easily collect more than 2000 crores and emerge as a massive blockbuster.
Now, with the film getting extremely mixed reports from audience, some of these bold promotional statements have become a topic of discussion on social media. Netizens have started trolling the makers, with Dil Raju receiving a major attention because of his recent box office track record.
Some are also comparing his 2000 crore prediction with similar statements made by producers and public figures in the past. Vashu Bhagnani, the producer of Bade Miyan Chote Miyan (2024), had confidently predicted that the film would collect 1100 crores, but the film eventually failed badly at the box office.
Similarly, actor Premgi Amaren had expressed confidence that Vijay’s The GOAT could reach the 1000 crore mark. The film, however, did not come close to that target. Producer K E Gnanavel Raja had also predicted that Kanguva would collect around 2000 crores, but the film ended up as a major loss-making venture.
Naturally, social media users are now joking that Dil Raju has joined this unofficial club of ambitious box office predictions. Some are even suggesting that if the current trend continues, Toxic may struggle to reach the 500 crore mark.
That said, Toxic still has a long theatrical run ahead. For now, the focus remains on how the film holds after the initial hype and whether it can turn the solid opening into a long theatrical run.
