Yash’s highly anticipated film Toxic is facing significant challenges in securing a lucrative OTT deal, with digital platforms offering below ₹100 crore against the makers’ expectation of around ₹200 crore. The massive gap in valuation is creating financial pressure on one of Indian cinema’s most ambitious and expensive projects.
The ₹500 Crore Gamble
Toxic is being made on a massive budget of over ₹500 crore, making it the highest-budget film ever in Kannada cinema. Planned for simultaneous release in all Indian languages as well as several international languages, the project was expected to command premium rates across all revenue streams, particularly from digital rights.
As Yash’s first film after the blockbuster KGF series, the makers initially expected extraordinary business. However, the film’s journey has been far from smooth.
Delays and Diminishing Buzz
The film has faced multiple postponements, and the repeated delays appear to have affected its market perception. Promotional content released so far has not created the expected impact and has instead sparked several controversies.
The underwhelming promotional response has reportedly made digital platforms hesitant. Toxic is said to be not carrying the massive buzz that was anticipated for a Yash starrer, directly impacting OTT negotiations.
OTT Market Reality
The timing has also been challenging. OTT platforms have been reducing their offering prices for films overall, affecting even big-budget productions across the industry.
With digital platforms unwilling to offer even ₹100 crore against the expected ₹200 crore, the OTT deal challenge is said to be one of the major reasons behind the ongoing delays. The makers are now in a difficult position, balancing the film’s financial viability against market realities while trying to preserve the project’s ambitious scale.
