Yash's upcoming action thriller Toxic has landed at the centre of an online debate after the release of its latest teaser, Ladies & Ladies.
The promo was meant to spotlight the women in the film. However, it has instead drawn criticism from a section of social media users, who questioned the way the female characters were presented.
Released on Wednesday, the teaser gives a glimpse of the film’s leading ladies, including Nayanthara, Kiara Advani, Huma Qureshi, Tara Sutaria and Rukmini Vasanth.
However, several viewers felt that the teaser focused more on glamour and sensual visuals than on introducing the characters.
Reacting on X, one user wrote that the teaser was dedicated to women but introduced most of them through objectification rather than character.
Another user criticised filmmaker Geetu Mohandas, questioning how a woman director could make such a promo.
Some users went further, calling it one of the most vulgar teasers in recent times. One viewer even urged the censor board not to clear the film.
Another user clarified that the issue was not mature content itself, but the way it was presented.
According to the user, there is a fine line between sensuality and discomfort, and the teaser appeared to cross it.
Criticism also focused on the teaser’s final shot. One X user said the scene reflected an uncomfortable male gaze and questioned how it was written, approved and filmed.
The debate also spread to Reddit, where users expressed similar disappointment. Some said none of the female characters were given proper dialogue or screen presence in the teaser.
One Reddit user pointed out that no female character spoke in the teaser and that none of them appeared for more than a few seconds.
Toxic has already faced multiple release date changes. The film is now scheduled to hit theatres on August 26.
The film is produced by Venkat K. Narayana and Yash under KVN Productions and Monster Mind Creations.
Written and shot in Kannada and English, it will also release in dubbed versions in Hindi, Telugu, Tamil and Malayalam.
[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n8sMfqOO9c0[/embed]
