Kannada star Yash unveiled the first teaser of his upcoming film Toxic on Thursday, coinciding with his birthday, and the short clip was enough to trigger widespread discussion online. The teaser introduces him as Raya, a character placed in a grim and aggressive setting, marking a clear shift from the larger than life image he carried in the KGF films.
The teaser opens with Yash making a slow, commanding entry amid smoke and chaos, hinting at a world driven by violence and power. There is little dialogue and no clear plot reveal, but the tone is unmistakably dark. A single line from the teaser quickly caught attention and began trending on social media within hours of release.
Fans responded in large numbers, calling the teaser stylish and intense, while several praised Yash’s screen presence and physical transformation. Clips from the teaser were widely shared across platforms, with many users saying the film appears mounted on a scale rarely seen in recent Indian action dramas. Some viewers, however, felt the glimpse was too brief and deliberately cryptic.
Toxic is directed by Geetu Mohandas and features a multi star cast including Kiara Advani, Nayanthara, Huma Qureshi, Tara Sutaria and Rukmini Vasanth. The film is being positioned as a pan India release and is expected to hit theatres later this year in multiple languages. The makers have described it as a stylised action drama with a distinct narrative tone.
Industry observers say the teaser has successfully set expectations without revealing too much. With Yash returning to the big screen after a long gap, the pressure on Toxic remains high. The next focus will be on the full trailer, which audiences expect to offer more clarity on the story and the world of Raya.