Yash starrer ‘Toxic: A Fairy Tale for Grown-Ups’ has made a roaring start at the Indian box office. Despite mixed early reviews and online criticism surrounding its violence and intimate content, the Geetu Mohandas directorial has shown strong audience demand on its opening day. The film crossed the Rs 50 crore mark in India before 3 PM, according to the latest Sacnilk data, putting it comfortably ahead of Ranveer Singh’s ‘Dhurandhar’ opening-day haul.
‘Toxic’ crosses Rs. 50 crore on Day 1, beats ‘Dhurandhar’
According to Sacnilk, ‘Toxic’ had collected Rs. 54.85 crore net in India by 3 PM on Day 1, with the film running across 13,556 shows. Its India gross had reached Rs. 64.72 crore at that point, although the figures remain live and are subject to revision as the day progresses.The number puts Yash’s film well ahead of ‘Dhurandhar’ Part 1, which opened with Rs. 28.60 crore net and Rs. 33.60 crore gross in India. ‘Toxic’ had already crossed its entire opening-day net collection during the morning-to-afternoon window, giving the film a significant early advantage.Notably though, ‘Dhurandhar: The Revenge’, building on its predecessor’s hype had minted Rs. 43 crore through paid previews and Rs. 102.55 crore on Day 1, as reported by Sacnilk. This record remains unshattered.
Strong morning occupancy across languages for ‘Toxic’
The film’s pan-India appeal was evident in its morning occupancy. The Kannada version recorded particularly strong demand, while the Telugu, Tamil, Malayalam and Hindi versions also contributed to the opening. The strong start comes after an aggressive advance-booking phase. Sacnilk had reported substantial pre-sales ahead of release, with the film positioned for one of the year’s biggest openings.
Can ‘Toxic’ score an Rs. 80 crore opening?
With more shows and the evening and night audiences still to be counted, ‘Toxic’ is now eyeing a significantly bigger Day 1 figure. Trade expectations had already placed the film in the Rs. 100 crore worldwide opening-day conversation, with the massive screen count and Yash’s pan-India fan base working in its favour. Sacnilk has also highlighted the film’s potential for a Rs. 100 crore-plus worldwide opening. On the domestic front, an Rs. 80 crore-plus net opening would mark a major commercial statement for the film. Whether it can reach that territory will depend largely on evening occupancy, night shows and the walk-in audience.
Advance booking created strong momentum for ‘Toxic’
The opening-day performance follows a powerful pre-release booking trend. The film crossed the one-million-ticket mark in advance sales and recorded strong demand across its key markets, particularly Karnataka. Its advance performance had also prompted comparisons with Yash’s previous blockbuster, ‘KGF: Chapter 2’. The film’s enormous release footprint has further amplified its box-office potential. Sacnilk reported that ‘Toxic’ was set to release across more than 12,000 screens worldwide, making it one of the widest Indian releases.
‘Toxic’ faces mixed reviews but strong audience curiosity
While the commercial response has been impressive, the critical reception has been more divided. Early reactions have praised Yash’s screen presence, the production design and the film’s visual scale, while some reviews have questioned its screenplay and narrative execution. The film had also generated discussion before release over its mature content, including violence and intimate sequences. The CBFC cleared the film with an A certificate, allowing it to be released for adult audiences.
More about ‘Toxic: A Fairy Tale for Grown-Ups’
Directed by Geetu Mohandas, ‘Toxic: A Fairy Tale for Grown-Ups’ marks Yash’s return to the big screen after ‘KGF: Chapter 2’. The film features an ensemble cast including Nayanthara, Kiara Advani, Huma Qureshi, Rukmini Vasanth and Tara Sutaria. It was released worldwide on August 26, 2026. The film arrives with considerable expectations because of Yash’s pan-India popularity and the success of his previous franchise. Its opening-day numbers will now determine whether ‘Toxic’ can convert its exceptional advance momentum into one of the biggest theatrical launches of the year.
‘Toxic’ vs ‘Dhurandhar’: Yash’s film takes early lead
The comparison with ‘Dhurandhar’ has become one of the key talking points around the opening. While Ranveer Singh’s film had a Rs. 28.60 crore India net opening, ‘Toxic’ crossed that figure within its morning shows and continued racing ahead through the afternoon. The latest Sacnilk update has the film at Rs. 54.85 crore net by 3 PM, with final Day 1 figures still awaited. If the momentum holds through the evening, ‘Toxic’ could finish its first day with a substantially higher figure and establish itself among the year’s biggest openers. The final number, however, will be clearer only after the full day’s collections are reported.