Nandini Reddy recently delivered a big success with Samantha’s Maa Inti Bangaaram. That success also raised expectations around Yash’s Toxic, which is directed by Geetu Mohandas.
The fact that a woman was directing Toxic created a different kind of curiosity. Many expected the film to be violent, bold, intense and filled with grey characters and shock value. At the same time, there was hope that Geetu Mohandas would bring some balance and strong emotional depth to the material.
But Toxic has failed to live up to those expectations.
The film has received extremely mixed reactions, with many viewers disappointed by its writing and execution. Instead of delivering a bold and sensible gangster drama, the film has been criticized for becoming a confusing experience.
There is an ironic line doing the rounds among viewers: “Female directors don’t just give us Maa Inti Bangaaram, they can also give us Toxic.”
The point becomes even more interesting when we look at another huge disaster this year. Tamil period drama Parasakthi, directed by a female filmmaker, was expected to become a cult classic. However, it ended up receiving a poor response and was a box office washout.
Toxic has now landed in a similar space for many viewers. Instead of becoming something closer to Maa Inti Bangaaram in terms of entertainment and audience connection, it has been compared to an overstuffed film like Parasakthi, with too many elements fighting for attention.
The film also has several female characters, but many viewers feel they have little impact on the overall story. Their presence does not add enough emotional weight or strength to the narrative.
Maa Inti Bangaaram showed what can happen when the writing, direction and entertainment come together. Toxic shows that even an interesting filmmaker and a huge star cannot deliver a flawless film, even with a huge budget.
