Yash, who is seen in the recently released gangster drama, Toxic: A Fairy Tale For Grown-Ups, promised an emotional story laced with violence and action. However, the outcome of the lavishly mounted film was not as expected. The violence shown in Toxic was condemned by K Annamalai, IPS officer turned founder of We The Leaders. Recently, he criticised the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) for giving a go-ahead to movies that glorify hyper-violence and misogyny. After Annamalai’s recent statement, the CBFC has reportedly thought of reconsidering the parameters to assess films like Toxic and even Marco.
CBFC to reconsider approach to assess violent films
As per Mid-Day‘s latest report, the CBFC’s discussion is not just about Toxic, but has to do more with the broader parameters. A source told the portal, “The question being discussed is not whether an ‘A’ certificate permits violence. The question is at what point does it become excessive.” The source further added that Toxic has scenes involving firearms, bloodshed, and severing of body parts. Due to this, the board has to examine whether such imagery is justified or is being used purely for impact.
Unni Mukundan’s 2024 Malayalam blockbuster Marco was under the scanner for its violence despite the admiration. The source said, “The Marco episode had shown the need for a clearly defined approach to extreme violence.”
What did K Annamalai say about Toxic?
Without naming Toxic: A Fairy Tale For Grown-Ups, Annamalai said at an event in Coimbatore, “There is a need for stricter enforcement of standards for certification of Indian films, particularly when movies have graphic violence, disturbing imagery and misogynistic themes.”
He further added that the audience is exposed to ‘extreme violence and depictions that objectify women’ in age-restricted movies and the censor board must do its job of certification without any bias.
About Toxic: A Fairy Tale For Grown-Ups
Directed by Geetu and co-written by Yash, Toxic: A Fairy Tale For Grown-Ups follows the story of Raya (Yash), a gangster, who is raised by his elder sister Ganga (Nayanthara). For him, her words are of utmost importance. While being in a relationship with Rebecca (Tara Sutaria), Raya falls in love with Nadia (Kiara Advani), a circus artiste. Their intimate love story leads to future events in Toxic, including Raya’s face-off with his son, Ticket, from his affair with Nadia.
Toxic: A Fairy Tale For Grown-Ups also stars Rukmini Vasanth and Sudev Nair. The film is co-produced by Yash under Monster Mind Creations with KVN Productions.