Yash Hails Toxic Producer Venkat K. Narayana: “This Man Stood Like a Rock” As Film Was Shot For 200 Days

Behind every ambitious film is a producer willing to take the biggest leap of faith, and for Yash, Toxic: A Fairy Tale for Grown-Ups would not have reached the screen in its current form without Venkat K. Narayana. At the film's Bengaluru trailer launch, Yash delivered an emotional tribute to his producer, crediting him for standing firmly behind the project despite its enormous scale, long shooting schedule and the constant challenges that come with bringing together a massive ensemble.

Yash began by pointing out the uncertainty that often surrounds big film productions. “Nowadays I see some disease or problem. I don't know, every film starts, every 10th day or 20th day there will be news about film being shelved, film being stopped. I don't know from where they write these stories,” he said. He then explained just how difficult filmmaking can be, comparing the process to going to war because there are countless factors—from weather and actors' schedules to production challenges—that can affect a project.

Toxic was no exception. According to Yash, the film was shot for approximately 200 days, beginning on August 8 two years ago, and was filmed in two versions. Bringing together a busy ensemble of leading actors and shooting an ambitious project across such an extended period required enormous patience from everyone involved. But throughout that process, Yash said Venkat never lost faith. “My producer has never questioned because every day I used to see and I used to feel bad. Like, we were working really hard continuously, we were shooting,” he recalled.

Then came the line that perhaps best describes Yash's respect for his producer: “This man stood like a rock. He never questioned anything. He believed in it.” Yash revealed that Venkat never approached the project simply as an opportunity to make a commercially safe film. Instead, the producer encouraged the team to pursue the full vision, regardless of the risks involved.

According to Yash, Venkat's philosophy was straightforward but powerful: “If you don't achieve what we want to achieve and just make a movie and just make money out of it, that is not why we are here. Please let's go for it and give our best.” That belief gave Yash and Geetu Mohandas the freedom to attempt something unconventional rather than compromising the film's ambition for a predictable commercial formula.

Yash also credited Venkat for helping assemble what he described as an extraordinary cast. “To have this wonderful cast, it's only him. I don't think in that area even I had dreamt of,” he admitted. The producer, he said, encouraged him to bring together some of the best actors in the country because the script and its characters deserved that level of talent. The film eventually brought together Yash, Nayanthara, Kiara Advani, Huma Qureshi, Tara Sutaria and Rukmini Vasanth.

The actor's gratitude extended beyond simply praising the financial backing of the film. For Yash, Venkat's greatest contribution was his belief. In an industry where large-scale productions can easily become victims of pressure, rumours and commercial calculations, the producer remained committed to the original vision. “You can see every money we have spent, it is on screen,” Yash said, reflecting the confidence he has in the final product.

Toxic: A Fairy Tale for Grown-Ups is directed by Geetu Mohandas and jointly produced by Venkat K. Narayana and Yash under KVN Productions and Monster Mind Creations. Shot simultaneously in Kannada and English, the gangster drama has been mounted on an ambitious scale and is scheduled to release worldwide on August 26, 2026.

For Yash, Venkat K. Narayana was more than a producer on Toxic—he was the person who refused to let the team's ambition become smaller. “This man stood like a rock. He never questioned anything. He believed in it,” Yash said. And as audiences finally get closer to seeing what that belief created, the producer's gamble may prove to be one of the most important pieces of the Toxic story.

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