Possibly the most anticipated film after Dhurandhar, Toxic had people waiting with bated breath. And it showed in the sold-out 6 am shows today. However, hype can only take a film so far. Once it releases, unfortunately, audiences can see through the rose-tinted glasses of marketing. Toxic may suffer the same consequences, at least with viewers who do not swoon at Yash’s mere presence on screen. Directed by Geetu Mohandas, Toxic stars “Rocking Star” Yash, Kiara Advani, Nayanthara, Huma Qureshi, Rukmini Vasanth, Akshay Oberoi, and Sanjeeda Shaikh in a short but menacingly memorable supporting role.

Toxic review: The film will leave you with more questions than answers

Toxic doesn’t ease you into the violence and bloodlust of the story. The gore hits you in the face in the beginning and then just keeps coming at you for the next three hours and 15 minutes.

After a brutal introduction, we are taken into pre-Independence Goa and a world of crime, drugs, and glamour. Raya (Yash) and his elder sister Ganga (Nayanthara) aim to make their way in a cruel world by collaborating with Salvador, a gangster in the opium trade. While Ganga is firmly focused on their goals, Raya is a bit of a loose cannon. He loves his sister dearly, but he also loves having sex with different women and cutting off heads. This is where one realises that Nayanthara, given the right role, direction, and ample screen time, can outshine any “bankable” (read: male) superstar.

Elizabeth (Huma Qureshi) is Salvador’s girlfriend, but she and her brother Donny (Akshay Oberoi) have ambitions of their own. When things go awry and Elizabeth is forced to make fatal decisions, she vows to exact revenge on Raya and Ganga. And she does by becoming Raya’s worst nightmare.

The second half then sees this nightmare unfold, slowly and painfully, for Raya. And this is where our nightmares, as the audience, really begin to take shape. If the makers had thought a little about tying the story together, edited the film to look less like a montage and more like a build-up to an epic climax, and toned down the screaming by a few decibels, Toxic would have been one for the books. Alas, this film is yet another glorification of the ugliest forms of toxic masculinity.

So much promise, so little delivered

When Toxic ends, one realises that the story was not bad at all. What was bad was the screenplay, the editing, and the monotony of the film. Yash is a star for a reason. His screen presence is magnetic, and the styling of his character in Toxic only adds to that persona. Geetu Mohandas does justice to an actor of his calibre. But the women have been severely let down.

Nayanthara, as mentioned before, is spectacular on screen. If there was any justice for her in Toxic, the first half would have led to something glorious for her character, Ganga. But that was not to be. Just as we think she’s getting an epic sequence of fiery glory, it’s abruptly cut short. As if the makers knew that Indian audiences respond better to a woman on her knees than a woman with a massive gun taking down legions of men.

To be honest, we had high hopes for Huma Qureshi’s Elizabeth after watching the Toxic trailer. We were seated to watch a woman play a ruthless, bloodthirsty gangster. But Elizabeth is just slightly better than a gangster’s chain-smoking girlfriend. You can see what Huma Qureshi could have done with the role if she had been given the chance. And you wait ardently for it. Until your hopes are thwarted with a gunshot.

Kiara Advani plays Nadia, Yash’s beautiful, sad love interest. How love blossoms between the two characters is lost on us due to a lack of cohesion in the storyline, but it does. Raya, however, is set to marry Salvador’s daughter, Rebecca (Tara Sutaria). The two women then proceed to destroy themselves slowly in their love for Raya.

The women of Toxic deserved a lot better than being defined by their relationships with men. Ganga is only seen as Raya’s sister, but the hints at her backstory reveal that she could’ve had a film of her own. Nadia is Raya’s mistress and the mother of his son, but the sadness in her eyes could have led to a unique character story.  Elizabeth is Salvador’s girlfriend. Rebecca is her father’s daughter and Raya’s fiancée. Melissa (Rukmini Vasanth) comes to Raya for revenge and ends up falling in love with him.

The only character who is afforded any depth is, of course, Raya.

The climax brings a surprising twist to Toxic

We won’t reveal the twist here, don’t worry. But it’s a twist worth waiting for, if you can get through three hours of screaming, shootings, bangings, and beheadings. The film that should have been a build-up to a visually and editorially beautiful climax feels more like a test of your tolerance.

Toxic is stylish, very glam, and very heavy on occasionally mindless action. If that’s enough for you, watch the film. Don’t blame us if you leave with a headache, though.

Toxic is out now in theatres.

Can you watch Toxic with family? If you haven’t realised it yet, Toxic is full of violence, gore, and sex. The film has an A rating for a reason.

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