Yash had high praise for his ‘Toxic: A Fairy Tale for Grown-Ups’ co-star Kiara Advani during the film’s trailer launch in Bengaluru. Describing her performance as “tabahi”, the actor-producer applauded Kiara’s dedication to the project and encouraged her not to be affected by criticism or public opinion. He also suggested that the film and its performances may be ahead of their time.Speaking about Kiara’s work in the film, Yash said, “Kiara, I think the kind of role you have performed in this, I have just seen a glimpse in the trailer. You are so dedicated, man. I have seen you work so hard.”Yash recalled that the team had initially wondered whether assembling a cast filled with established actors could lead to complications. However, he said Kiara quickly put those concerns to rest with her approach to the project.“Initially, we all thought, okay, when you get all these actors, there could be a problem and there could be so many issues. But I think right from the beginning, Kiara was so down-to-earth. She dedicated herself and surrendered to this vision,” Yash said.The ‘KGF’ star also appeared to address the criticism that actors can face over their performances and creative choices. He encouraged Kiara to remain confident in her decisions instead of being influenced by outside reactions.“What all one has to go through when you’re an actor. Don’t care. Whatever you believe in, you should do. People will celebrate, people will appreciate.”Kiara has recently faced online criticism surrounding her role in ‘Toxic’, particularly over intimate and bold scenes with Yash. The film has also drawn criticism from some sections of social media over its alleged depiction of violence and the sexualisation of women.Yash, however, suggested that the audience may require some time to fully understand what the team has attempted with the film. “There’s a lot that will change. It’s just that we are a little ahead of our times. People will know it,” he said.His description of Kiara’s performance as “tabahi” came as a strong endorsement of her work, especially as anticipation around her character continues to grow ahead of the film’s release.Yash also emphasised that ‘Toxic’ is not being positioned as an individual star vehicle, but as a larger Indian cinematic project involving talent from across the industry.“This movie is not Yash’s film. This is an Indian film where all the top stars, where all the successful people, where all the talented people have kept their insecurities, their goals, or even their selfish – every actor is selfish, which is the truth, but this film has happened because all these talented people have kept their egos aside. And come for just one cause – to put an Indian film on a global platform. We have shot this in Kannada and English. Lot of people told I am from Bhuvanahalli. You know my English before yaa. What I believe is if you want to do something in life, nothing should stop you.”He added, “Most of us listen to people who say bad things and people who see negative things. I don’t see that, I don’t listen to anyone. When someone says, you can’t do this, I see that it’s their lack of imagination, there is nothing in life where you put time and efforts, there’s nothing you can’t achieve in life.”Directed by Geetu Mohandas, ‘Toxic: A Fairy Tale for Grown-Ups’ stars Yash and Kiara Advani in the lead roles. The film presents Yash in a distinctly different avatar and has already generated significant curiosity following the release of its trailer.
