Yash Defends Kiara Advani Amid ‘Tabaahi’ Backlash, Says ‘We’re Little Ahead of Times’

Yash praised Kiara Advani’s commitment to Toxic: A Fairy Tale for Grown-Ups and appeared to address the criticism surrounding her bold appearance in the song ‘Tabaahi’.

Yash has come out in support of Kiara Advani amid online criticism surrounding her appearance in “Tabaahi”, the song from their upcoming film Toxic: A Fairy Tale for Grown-Ups.

Speaking at the film’s trailer launch in Bengaluru, Yash praised Kiara’s dedication to director Geetu Mohandas’ vision and suggested that audiences have seen only a small part of what the actor has done in the film.

His comments came after Kiara’s appearance in “Tabaahi” generated strong reactions on social media, with some viewers criticising the song’s bold presentation.

Yash praises Kiara’s commitment to ‘Toxic’

Yash said Kiara had completely committed herself to the film and its creative direction.

“The kind of role you have performed in this is just a glimpse in trailer. You are so dedicated man. I have seen you like work so hard,” he said at the event.

The actor also recalled that there had initially been concerns about bringing together several prominent performers for a project with an ambitious creative vision.

“Initially we all thought okay when you get all these actors there could be a problem and there could be so many issues,” Yash said.

According to him, Kiara quickly demonstrated that she was willing to put the requirements of the character and the film ahead of those concerns.

“But I think the start, the beginning is Kiara was so down to earth she dedicated herself and surrendered to this vision in the way she has performed,” he added.

Yash also acknowledged the contributions of his other co-stars, including Nayanthara, Huma Qureshi and Tara Sutaria.

Yash appears to respond to ‘Tabaahi’ criticism

The conversation also touched on the reactions to Kiara’s appearance in “Tabaahi”.

While Yash did not directly go into the details of the criticism, he appeared to encourage actors to remain committed to creative choices they believe in.

“And what you have to go through as an actor unfortunately… (you should not care)… Whatever you believe in, you should do and people will celebrate, people will appreciate,” he said.

Yash then added a line that appeared to reflect his view of the film’s approach:

“It’s just that we are little ahead of times.”

His remarks suggest that the Toxic team is comfortable with the film’s stylistic and mature presentation, even when individual promotional elements attract criticism.

Kiara’s role remains a talking point

Kiara plays Nadia in Toxic, one of several major characters surrounding Yash’s central role.

The film’s promotional material has presented a dark and stylised world involving crime, power, violence and complicated relationships.

The “Tabaahi” song has added another dimension to the film’s marketing campaign, particularly because of its more provocative visual presentation.

Yash’s comments indicate that audiences should not necessarily interpret the song as a complete representation of Kiara’s role in the film.

He specifically described what audiences have seen so far as only a “glimpse” of her performance.

‘Toxic’ brings together a major ensemble

Directed by Geetu Mohandas, Toxic: A Fairy Tale for Grown-Ups features an ensemble cast led by Yash.

Kiara Advani plays Nadia, while Nayanthara, Huma Qureshi, Tara Sutaria and Rukmini Vasanth also have prominent roles.

The film has been made in Kannada and English and is scheduled to reach audiences in several Indian languages through dubbed versions, including Hindi, Tamil, Telugu and Malayalam.

The combination of a large ensemble, an international visual style and Mohandas’ darker storytelling approach has made Toxic one of the more closely watched Indian releases of the year.

When is ‘Toxic’ releasing?

Toxic: A Fairy Tale for Grown-Ups is scheduled for a worldwide theatrical release on August 26, 2026.

With the trailer now out and promotional activities gaining momentum, attention is increasingly focused on how the film’s unconventional tone will translate on the big screen.

For Yash, however, the message at the Bengaluru event was clear: he believes Kiara has fully committed herself to the project, and he appears confident that the choices made by the Toxic team will ultimately speak for themselves.