Toxic, the biggest budget film to come out of Sandalwood, released with massive expectations but ran into complete disaster from the very first shows, with word of mouth turning against it almost immediately.
The film ended its theatrical run with around ₹320 Cr gross, a steep shortfall against its reported ₹800 Cr breakeven target. Even reaching this number relied heavily on the Hindi version’s contribution, without which the final tally would have looked considerably weaker.
With the theatrical chapter closed, audiences who skipped the film in cinemas now get their chance to judge it for themselves, with Toxic set to premiere on Zee5 this Thursday, September 25.
The big question now is which way the response swings. The film could either find a better reception on OTT, where lowered expectations and the comfort of watching at home sometimes work in a film’s favour, or it could see criticism intensify further, especially given how vocal the backlash already was during its theatrical run. Either way, this OTT premiere will be closely watched as the final word on how Toxic is ultimately remembered.
