Yash's latest film, 'Toxic,' a commercial actioner, has approached the ₹230 crore mark at the domestic box office by its seventh day. Despite this seemingly robust collection, the film is reportedly turning into a significant financial burden for its distributors across various regions.
According to industry tracker Sacnilk, 'Toxic' registered a slight uptick of about 7.2% in its daily collections on its first Tuesday. The film's India net box office collections are detailed as follows: ₹101.10 crore on day 1, ₹37.65 crore on day 2, ₹27.20 crore on day 3, ₹25.15 crore on day 4, ₹23 crore on day 5, ₹7.65 crore on day 6, and ₹8.20 crore on day 7. This brings the total India net collection to ₹229.95 crore, translating to a domestic gross of ₹272.80 crore. Worldwide, the film's gross collection stands at ₹313.55 crore, including ₹40.75 crore from overseas markets.
Distributors Grapple with Mounting Losses
The impressive gross figures, however, do not tell the full story for the film's distributors. Noted producer-distributor Dil Raju, who acquired rights for an estimated ₹125 crore, is reportedly facing substantial losses as collections plummeted sharply after the opening day. He is said to be seeking compensation, potentially through rights to upcoming projects like 'Ramayana: Part-1' and Chiranjeevi's 'Kaaka.'
In Karnataka, where Yash's Monster Mind Creations and Venkat K Narayana's KVN Productions self-distributed the film, the primary producers are directly bearing the financial impact. The Tamil version's theatrical rights, acquired for ₹63 crore on an advance-commission basis by a network including Think Studios, White Nights/Trident Arts, S Picture, and 5 Star K Senthil, have also resulted in heavy deficits due to the film's underperformance.
The Hindi belt experienced a dramatic decline, with collections dropping approximately 94% by the first Monday after a strong ₹100 crore-plus opening. This makes it challenging for theatrical buyers like Anil Thadani's AA Films to recover their investments. Similarly, the overseas market, where Phars Film initially picked up international distribution rights for around ₹105 crore, has suffered an estimated loss of ₹65 crore.
Even in Kerala, where Mukesh Mehta and C.V. Sarathi's E4 Entertainment withdrew from distribution before release, Panorama Studios stepped in only to see the Malayalam version become a 'total write-off,' earning a meager ₹15 lakh per day by the weekend.
Film Overview: Story and Cast
Directed by Geethu Mohandas, 'Toxic' tells the story of Raya, a gangster who establishes a powerful crime and opium empire in Goa during the twilight of Portuguese rule. The film features a star-studded cast alongside Yash, including Kiara Advani, Nayanthara, Huma Qureshi, Tara Sutaria, Rukmini Vasanth, Akshay Oberoi, and Darrell D'Silva.