The first look of Nayanthara from Toxic: A Fairytale For Grown-Ups has set social media on fire. Many fans loved her bold and fierce presence. But a large number of users were not impressed. Some even called the poster a “ghatiya copy”.
The poster was shared on December 31 by Yash, who plays the lead in the film. He introduced Nayanthara’s character as Ganga. The image shows her as calm, powerful and dangerous. Still, the reactions online were mixed.
Toxic (directed by Geetu Mohandas) is a stylised gangster drama. It carries a dark fairy-tale mood. Yash leads the cast. Kiara Advani and Huma Qureshi were revealed earlier through their own character posters. Nayanthara’s look was the latest reveal.
Nayanthara Toxic First Look Triggers Strong Reactions
Sharing the poster online, Yash wrote, “Introducing Nayanthara as GANGA in – A Toxic Fairy Tale For Grown-Ups.”
In the image, Nayanthara walks through a grand doorway. She holds a gun in her hand. Two men open the doors for her. Others stand behind her as guards. She wears a black outfit with a high slit and thigh-high boots. Her expression is intense and confident.
Her husband (filmmaker Vignesh Shivan) reshared the poster on Instagram. He wrote “Wow” with a mouth-open emoji. He later added heart-eyes and red-heart emojis. His reaction clearly showed his admiration.
The makers described Ganga as “a woman who owns the room and calls her own shots.”
While some fans praised her screen presence, others criticised the styling and concept. The debate quickly grew louder.
Toxic Posters Compared To Video Games And Alcohol Ads
Soon after the poster release, Reddit and X were filled with comments. Several users felt the look was similar to Lara Croft from the famous video game series. Others felt the posters looked more like alcohol advertisements than film promos.
Some users also warned the makers about the planned box office clash with Dhurandhar 2. A few even compared Toxic to Bombay Velvet, which failed to impress audiences.
Here are some user reactions:
“Ganga in Ghatiya Copy of Lara Croft Look . . . Boom Raider.”
“Looks more like a liquor calendar shoots.”
“Why do these posters feel more like alcohol ads than movie posters?”
“Ye movie ke posters hai ya koi fashion show hai?”
“Looks like Bombay Velvet 2 is loading.”
“Bombay Velvet Kannada version. Lol.”
“Why it is looking like AI generated?”
Despite the criticism, the poster has kept Toxic in the news. The film continues to trend online.
All About Toxic: A Fairytale For Grown-Ups
Toxic is written by Yash and Geetu Mohandas. Geetu also directs the film. It is being shot in both Kannada and English. Dubbed versions will be released in Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam and other languages.
Kiara Advani plays Nadia in the film. Huma Qureshi appears as Elizabeth. The project is produced by Venkat K. Narayana and Yash under KVN Productions and Monster Mind Creations.
Toxic is set for a theatrical release on March 19, 2026. The date falls during Eid, Ugadi, and Gudi Padwa, making it a big festive release.
Nayanthara was last seen in the sports drama Test, which released on OTT in 2025. Apart from Toxic, she has not announced her next project yet.
