Entertainment
oi-Prakash KL
K Annamalai, former Tamil Nadu BJP chief and founder of We The Leaders, has slammed Rocking Star Yash’s latest movie Toxic for glorifying violence and objectifying women.
Speaking at an event, Annamalai said, “I watched a movie yesterday… Actually, I didn’t watch it; I heard about it. If I name the movie, they might file a defamation case against me. I’m already facing several cases, so I’ll speak without mentioning the name. This morning, I saw on NDTV that a big star has acted in it, and the film has already made ₹104 crore. If you look at the title of the movie, it refers to something we talk about a lot today-something toxic-and the movie has been named after it.”
Former Tamil Nadu BJP chief K Annamalai criticized Rocking Star Yash’s film ‘Toxic’, questioning how it could earn over ₹100 crore while allegedly glorifying violence and objectifying women, raising concerns about its impact on youth and women’s safety.
He then questioned how a movie that “degrades” women could collect more than ₹100 crore on its opening day.
“I just wonder: how has a movie that, according to what I’ve heard, degrades women managed to make more than ₹100 crore? If young people are being exposed to movies like Toxic, how can we expect women’s safety to improve in India?
“We travel to different places and speak about women’s empowerment, gender equality and creating a safer society. But at the same time, a movie like this is being made and cleared by the censor authorities. The bigger question is: does the movie really portray women in a positive and dignified light?”
The former Tamil Nadu BJP chief then advised the younger generation to understand their boundaries.
If youngsters are being exposed to movies like Toxic, how can we expect women’s safety to improve in India? @annamalai_k raises an important question.
Censor rules must become more strict. Extreme violence and scenes that objectify or degrade women should not be allowed in… pic.twitter.com/htehMPOLlW
— Karthik Ravivarma (@Karthikravivarm) August 27, 2026
“Responsible relationships are extremely important for this generation. You are all Gen Z, and you understand these conversations better than anyone. But do you really understand where the boundaries lie? What is the boundary between personal and professional relationships? I don’t want to say much more about it. Instead, I want you to think about it and expand your imagination,” he concluded.
Yash’s mega-budget movie Toxic was released on Wednesday and recorded an earth-shattering opening at the box office. However, the movie has received largely negative reviews from Telugu- and Tamil-speaking audiences, while getting an average response in the Kannada and Hindi markets.
A section of the audience has come down heavily on the bold content, which features violence, intimate scenes and cuss words.
The Geetu Mohandas directorial features Nayanthara, Kiara Advani, Huma Qureshi, Tara Sutaria and Rukmini Vasanth.
