Yash-starrer ‘Toxic: A Fairy Tale for Grown-Ups’ has secured an 18+ certificate for its UK release, placing the film strictly in the adults-only category. The classification has drawn attention to the action thriller’s violent and dark material ahead of its worldwide theatrical arrival on 26 August.
Directed by Geetu Mohandas, the film was assessed by the British Board of Film Classification. Its report gives the movie the highest available severity rating in violence, sexual content and injury detail, with each category receiving 5 out of 5. Threat, thriller elements, nudity, drugs and language were each rated 4 out of 5.
The BBFC describes the film as a drama about the head of a powerful drug cartel in Goa who lays the foundations for his own destruction. The board has listed the production as a Tamil-language film, although the movie has been described as being made primarily in Kannada and English.
The classification report refers to several graphic forms of violence, including shootings, knife attacks, throat-cutting, head injuries, torture, executions and dismemberment. It also notes repeated depictions of blood, corpses, severed body parts and severe wounds. Club settings reportedly feature bold and erotic material, while the report also mentions extensive drug use and a disturbing scene involving children.
The film’s approved UK runtime is 191 minutes and 41 seconds, making it approximately 3 hours and 11 minutes long. Its length, adult certificate and graphic-content details have prompted comparisons with the ‘Dhurandhar’ films, which also received 18+ ratings from the BBFC. According to the reported classification breakdown, those films received 5 out of 5 for violence, while ‘Toxic’ reaches the top rating across three major content categories.
‘Toxic’ was initially scheduled for release in March, when it was expected to compete directly with Ranveer Singh’s ‘Dhurandhar: The Revenge’. The release was postponed amid tensions in the Middle East. The film is now set for a global cinema release on 26 August.
Produced by KVN Productions and Monster Mind Creations, the movie is backed by Venkat K. Narayan and Yash. Its cast also includes Kiara Advani, Nayanthara, Huma Qureshi, Tara Sutaria and Rukmini Vasanth. Promotional material and the teaser have faced criticism on social media over their violence and bold content, while the UK rating has increased interest among film audiences.
