Kiara Advani Calls ‘Toxic’ a Career Turning Point: ‘There Will Be a Kiara Before and After This Film’

Kiara Advani says Yash and director Geetu Mohandas gave her the confidence to take a fearless leap with her role as Nadia in Toxic: A Fairytale for Grown Ups.

Kiara Advani believes Toxic: A Fairytale for Grown Ups could become one of the defining films of her acting career.

Speaking at the film’s trailer launch in Bengaluru, the actor opened up about playing Nadia and the confidence she received from director Geetu Mohandas and her co-star Yash. Kiara said the two filmmakers saw something in her that she had not yet recognised in herself.

The actress described the experience as a major creative leap and suggested that audiences may see a noticeably different side of her when the film arrives in theatres.

Kiara Advani says Yash and Geetu Mohandas ‘manifested’ Nadia for her

Kiara said her decision to take on Nadia was strongly influenced by the belief that Yash and Geetu Mohandas had in her abilities.

“I truly believe that Geetu and Yash manifested for me to be Nadia in this film,” Kiara said at the trailer launch, according to the report cited by India Today.

She explained that the director and actor trusted her with the character before she had fully realised she was ready to make such a bold move.

“They saw it in me and believed I was capable of this much before I knew that fearless leap that I was ready to take as an actor,” she added.

For Kiara, the opportunity appears to represent more than another role. She said seeing portions of the completed film made her even more appreciative of the confidence placed in her.

“For giving me a part that I know will be very, very special for me as an actor in my journey,” she said.

The actress then summed up her expectations from the film with a particularly strong statement:

“I think there will be a Kiara before Toxic and a Kiara after Toxic.”

Kiara wants audiences to discover Nadia for themselves

Despite describing Nadia as an important character in her career, Kiara did not reveal too much about the role during the event.

Rather than reducing Nadia to a single description, she said she wanted viewers to experience the character through the film itself.

“I cannot wait for the world to experience Nadia. I don’t think I can describe her in one word. So I’m just going to let you go and experience it,” she said.

The decision to keep details under wraps is likely to add to the curiosity surrounding the character, particularly as Toxic has been positioned as a visually ambitious project with a distinctive world.

Yash and Geetu Mohandas have raised Kiara’s expectations

Kiara also spoke about the filmmaking experience and joked that Yash and Geetu Mohandas had made it difficult for her and the rest of the cast to settle for less on future projects.

Addressing the two directly, she said they had effectively “spoilt” the actors by setting such a high standard during the making of Toxic.

“You have spoiled me and every actor in this room. On this film, I’m sure you all will agree with me,” Kiara said.

She added that the experience had changed what the cast would expect from future productions.

“What we’ve tasted is now going to make us want so much more, and we’re just going to be so much greedier with every film we step into,” she said.

Her comments suggest that the scale and creative process behind Toxic left a lasting impression on the cast.

Kiara praises the team behind ‘Toxic’

The actor also acknowledged the technicians and other members of the production team whose work helped shape the film.

Kiara said the ambition behind Toxic extended well beyond simply meeting audience expectations.

“Excellence was just the beginning. Like, just the beginning for the baseline,” she said.

She concluded her address by expressing excitement about audiences finally seeing the work put into the film.

“I can’t wait for you all to witness the magic that everyone has put into this film,” Kiara added.

Yash and Kiara Advani headline ‘Toxic’

Directed by Geetu Mohandas, Toxic: A Fairytale for Grown Ups stars Yash and Kiara Advani alongside Huma Qureshi, Rukmini Vasanth and Tara Sutaria.

The film has been made in Kannada and English and is expected to present a darker, stylised take on the action-drama genre.

For Kiara, however, the film represents something more personal. Her comments at the trailer launch indicate that Nadia challenged her as a performer and pushed her into territory she had not previously explored on screen.

Toxic: A Fairytale for Grown Ups is scheduled to release in theatres on August 26, 2026.

With Kiara describing the film as a potential dividing line in her career, attention will now turn to whether Nadia delivers the transformative performance she believes audiences are about to discover.