Geetu Mohandas’ Kannada film Toxic: A Fairy Tale for Grown-Ups, starring Yash, hit theatres on August 26 and received mixed-to-negative reactions from critics and audiences. Despite the criticism, the film has reportedly earned around ₹300 crore worldwide. Benedict Garrett, who plays an important role in the movie, has now spoken out in its defence and urged viewers to form their own opinions.

Toxic actor Benedict Garrett responds to criticism

Benedict Garrett shared pictures from his scenes in Toxic on social media and asked audiences not to judge the film solely on the basis of reviews, whether positive or negative. “Sometimes malfunctions happen, Raya. Don’t make the mistake of judging a film by the negative reviews of others (be they genuine or paid). You have your own mind, don’t you? Use it. Remember - #TOXIC is a FAIRY TALE for GROWN-UPS. Still showing in cinemas,” he wrote. Garrett had also expressed his support for the film shortly after its release. He said he was surprised by how strongly the movie affected him, despite not being particularly fond of action films. “I honestly didn’t expect to love Toxic. I’m in the film, but I went into the cinema knowing very little about the story and as someone who isn’t particularly a fan of action films, I was genuinely surprised by how deeply it affected me,” he said.

According to Garrett, the film goes beyond its violence, gore, sexual themes and spectacle. He described it as a dark fairy tale exploring issues such as trauma, conditioning, power, religion, colonialism and society. The actor acknowledged that Toxic “won’t be for everyone” but praised director Geetu Mohandas for creating a film that challenges conventional storytelling. “She didn’t make a film designed to give everyone what they already know they want. She made something challenging, unconventional and open to interpretation,” Garrett said, while praising Yash’s performance as “absolutely astounding.” He added that he was proud to be part of the project and said his comments were not simply an attempt to promote his own work. Instead, he described them as his personal reaction to the film, saying, “Toxic blew me away.”

What is Toxic about?

Toxic: A Fairy Tale for Grown-Ups is directed by Geetu Mohandas and co-written by Mohandas and Yash. The film is produced by Venkat K Narayana and Yash under KVN Productions and Monster Mind Creations. The movie features Yash alongside Kiara Advani, Nayanthara, Huma Qureshi, Tara Sutaria and Rukmini Vasanth. The story follows a gangster who takes control of illegal activities in Goa, which remains under Portuguese rule despite India gaining independence. The film has faced criticism over its screenplay and dialogues, along with its depiction of violence and sexual themes. Despite the negative response from sections of critics and audiences, the film has continued its theatrical run and reportedly crossed the ₹300-crore mark globally.