Toxic continues to be a box office hit of the highest magnitude, with the film approaching Rs 200 crore worldwide gross within 3 days of its release. And it is the action thriller that has been very much in the limelight both in India and overseas; hence, Yash has become one of the biggest stars of Indian movies. Industry observers say the film has not managed to match the pace of KGF: Chapter 2, which broke box office records on the first day of release.
Toxic opened in packed theatres across Karnataka and other key markets in huge numbers when it was released. The film had high bookings and mass fanfare, and it was Yash’s first big film at home; he got a huge buzz with the big release after the success of the KGF franchise that the movie had in our industry. The actor’s return to the big screen was one of the most eagerly awaited events in Indian cinema, and the film had a strong start from the ticket counters.
Toxic is still a strong performer on its first three days, according to early trade estimates, with weekend footfalls helping to drive the numbers. Multiplexes in metropolitan cities and single-screen theatres in Karnataka and neighbouring states had good occupancy. Overseas markets (especially those with an Indian diaspora) have also played a big role in the film’s sales.
Now the film is on track to cross the Rs 200 crore worldwide gross mark, which is a number that not many movies can achieve in a theatrical run. This is a testament to the huge fan base Yash inspires and the high level of anticipation that exists for the project. Investors think that with good weekdays, our movie will still add to its total number.
But comparisons with KGF: Chapter 2 are inevitable. The blockbuster sequel had already set groundbreaking records on its first weekend (and now holds records in many languages and territories). From the start of the first weekend, KGF 2 was already a phenomenon, and still it’s hard to surpass.
While Toxic is doing fairly well on its own, the gap between its collections and those of KGF: Chapter 2 is much larger. Trade analysts point out that KGF 2 benefited from an extraordinary hype build-up over several years, widespread franchise popularity and overwhelmingly strong audience demand from the very first day. So, the benchmark that the film set is extremely high.
But many experts argue that it is unfair to compare Toxic with KGF 2. The new film is in a completely different genre, in terms of storytelling style and vision. Toxic is also headed up by the great filmmaker Geetu Mohandas, but it is trying to become a movie of its own and not the formula of Yash's previous blockbuster franchise.
Audience responses have largely appreciated the film’s visual quality, action and the size of Yash’s performance. The movie is very much more popular on social media, and the movie is going to get the interest of moviegoers. We will see if the next few days will tell us if it still has its occupancy numbers and will continue to progress into bigger things.
Toxic has already managed to open well over Rs 200 crore and has solidified Yash’s box office appeal. While it may not be able to compete with KGF: Chapter 2 (at present), it is still quite a big commercial success and still one of the most talked-about releases in theatres.
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