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Yash-starrer Toxic has suffered another box-office setback, as its English version registered a very poor opening in India. It wasn't expected to have
a big impact, as the movie was already struggling to win over a wider audience. But the film's very low opening points to how much interest has waned. The poor reception comes just a week after the film's original Kannada version and dubbed versions in Hindi, Tamil, Telugu and Malayalam were released in cinemas on August 26. The Geetu Mohandas directorial also stars Kiara Advani, Nayanthara, Huma Qureshi, Tara Sutaria, and Rukmini Vasanth in key roles.
Toxic English version limited release
The new version that was released in cinemas on 4 September could only sell around 450 tickets across the country and earned around Rs. 1.40 lakh on its first day, Bollywood Hungama reported. The English version of Toxic didn't get the usual national release. It played in just 11 shows in four cities – Mumbai, Bengaluru, Gurugram and Noida. The limited release meant there was little opportunity for the film to make much money. Out of the four cities, Mumbai and Bengaluru reportedly had the highest occupancy, with Gurugram and Noida having less than 25 tickets sold.
On its opening day, the English version could manage t a collection of just Rs. 1.40 lakh. The muted response also means the film could see its screen count shrink even further over the weekend. September 5 and 6 are big days for theatrical releases, and the English version will likely not see a huge shift. With the current pace, its lifetime collection might not even reach Rs. 10 lakh.
Negative word of mouth and competition hurt Toxic
The English version found itself in an already difficult environment for Toxic. The film opened on August 26 to tough competition, and even more audience attention was fragmented by later releases. Another major problem was poor word of mouth. There was a lot of anticipation from Yash's fan base before the release, but the response from the general audience was much weaker. The film was also criticised for its depiction of women and its use of violence.
The more negativity there was, the less exciting the film seemed. The makers subsequently scaled back promotional activity, while the hope that an English-language version could bring in a fresh audience did not translate into substantial theatrical footfalls.
English cut slightly different
They didn't just shove another dub of the English version at us. The cut is said to be slightly different from the original version, allowing the makers to present the film in a different format to English-speaking audiences. But it hasn't generated much excitement yet.
The near-silent arrival of the English version is especially notable, as there had been some curiosity about the alternate cut before release. But first-day numbers suggest that audience interest wasn't strong enough to translate into ticket sales.
Indian box office opening of Toxic was phenomenal. Day 1 collection was Rs 101.10 crore, and a big run at the box office was expected. But after the first day, the collections fell off steeply in all languages.
