What is the story about?
Yash's Toxic: A Fairy Tale for Grown-Ups started on a strong note at the global box office, but its collection could now depend a lot on the Hindi-speaking
market. Despite a big debut, its mixed reviews and a sharp drop on its second day are leading many to question the film's long-term box-office prospects. Toxic released on August 26 and also stars Kiara Advani, Nayanthara, Tara Sutaria, Huma Qureshi, and Rukmini Vasanth. Helmed by Geetu Mohandas, the movie opened with impressive numbers and reportedly crossed Rs 100 crore worldwide on Day 1, surpassing Jawan and Dhurandhar Part 1. By the end of Day 2, the film's worldwide gross reportedly crossed Rs 190 crore.
Toxic falls heavily on Day 2
Toxic had a spectacular opening on Wednesday, August 26, collecting Rs 101.10 crore net in India across 24,579 shows on its very first day. The Hindi version has emerged as the biggest contributor, bringing in Rs 55 crore on Day 1. This made it one of the biggest openers of the year, riding on huge advance bookings and Yash's massive fan following. However, on Day 2 (Thursday), the film saw a sharp crash in its collections, earning around Rs 22.08 crore net, as per Sacnilk. This translates to a drop of over 75 per cent compared to its opening day numbers. The Hindi version suggests earnings of Rs 23-25 crore, taking its two-day Hindi total to Rs 75 crore approx.
That drop-off is cause for concern as Toxic heads into a key weekend where continued audience interest will determine if it can keep building.
Toxic's stronghold in Hindi market
Toxic is originally a bilingual movie, made in Kannada and English, while being dubbed in other major languages. But the biggest surprise has been Toxic's performance in the Hindi belt. Yash is said to have earned more than the Kannada version on the first day of release, which is a clear indication of his growing popularity outside Karnataka.
The huge fan following that the KGF franchise generated seems to have worked in favour of Toxic in attracting audiences in North India. The Hindi market has seen encouraging momentum even after the film's first day of release. This may prove even more important should the film struggle to hold its collections in its home market.
Toxic's precedents
The steep fall on the second day has, however, drawn comparisons with Aamir Khan's Thugs Of Hindostan, another previous example of a box office disaster. The film opened at about Rs 52.25 crore and then dropped to Rs 29.25 crore on Day 2. Early Hindi trade estimates similarity between the two films' performance. Reports also suggest large declines across multiplexes and mass-market centres.
Crucial first weekend
Toxic's next two days are critical. If the Hindi market holds strong over the weekend, it could give the film a much-needed cushion. But another big drop could make it hard to hit its ambitious box-office target.
