Kiara Advani has described her role in Toxic: A Fairy Tale for Grown-Ups as the most creatively fulfilling part of her career so far. The actor plays Nadia in the Yash-led gangster drama, directed by Geetu
Mohandas, and believes the character gave her the kind of emotional complexity she had been waiting to explore.
Her comments come amid criticism over the film’s promotional material, with some viewers accusing the makers of objectifying its female characters and placing most of the focus on Yash.
Kiara Was ‘Mesmerised’ By Nadia
In an interview with Femina, Kiara said Geetu’s narration immediately changed the way she saw the film.
“When I finally heard the narration, I was mesmerised by how well fleshed out this character was,” she said.
According to Kiara, Nadia moves through several emotional extremes. Describing the role, she said, “From strength to vulnerability, madness to derangement, sensitivity to detachment.”
The actor added that the character gave her “all the meat an actor longs for” and arrived at a stage when she finally felt ready to take on something this demanding.
“I felt I had reached a place in my career where I was confident enough to take on such a character,” she said.
Inside Kiara’s Preparation For Toxic
Kiara said her preparation began with understanding Nadia’s emotional world rather than simply focusing on appearance or performance cues.
“I spend a lot of time asking questions about their emotional world, their relationships, fears and motivations,” she explained. “Then comes the physical aspect. Body language, texture of their voice, costume, and how they occupy space.”
She added that most of the work behind a performance remains invisible to audiences.
“The audience sees the final performance, but the work happens quietly long before the shoot,” Kiara said.
Building Nadia, she added, reminded her why she fell in love with acting. “It was all about building a character and discovering her from the inside out.”
Kiara On Toxic’s Female Cast
The actor also pushed back indirectly against the perception that the film’s women have little to do. Kiara praised Nayanthara, Huma Qureshi, Tara Sutaria and Rukmini Vasanth, saying each brought something different to the film.
“Every woman brought her own energy and individuality to the film,” she said. “I think audiences will enjoy seeing such distinct female characters share the same cinematic universe.”
She also described the atmosphere on set as “incredibly refreshing,” adding that the cast often pushed one another to create something unique.
About Toxic
Directed by Geetu Mohandas, Toxic stars Yash in a dual role alongside Kiara Advani, Nayanthara, Huma Qureshi, Tara Sutaria and Rukmini Vasanth. Shot in Kannada and English, the film will also release in Hindi, Tamil, Telugu and Malayalam.
