Why Nayanthara Made An Exception and Showed Up for Yash’s ‘Toxic’ Promotions

Nayanthara rarely does film promotions. She says so herself. But for “Toxic: A Fairy Tale for Grown-Ups,” she made an exception. When the actor took the stage at the film’s trailer launch in Bengaluru, she had far more to say than the usual few words expected at a promotional event. What followed was an unusually candid and emotional speech about the people behind the film: her female co-stars, director Geetu Mohandas, Yash and finally, his wife Radhika Pandit.

“It’s not that I don’t want to attend promotional events, it’s just that I’m not very good at it. So I stay away from it,” Nayanthara said. “But this was special.” Part of that, she revealed, was simply Yash. “He just made a call and it was enough for me to just attend the event.”
But as her speech unfolded, it became clear that her presence was about more than a trailer launch. “Toxic” had clearly become about the people and relationships forged during its making as much as the film itself.

A cast she had grown close to

One of the warmest threads running through Nayanthara’s speech was the affection with which she spoke about her female co-stars. She told Rukmini Vasanth that she had been watching her journey and was proud of the films she had been doing. Her words for Kiara Advani were even more emphatic. “There’s a Kiara before and there’s going to be a Kiara after Toxic,” she observed, telling Advani, “‘Toxic’ is going to be your best.” She also praised Advani’s appearance in the film, telling her that she looked “absolutely stunning.”

For Tara Sutaria, Nayanthara’s tone turned playful. Referring to her image as a Disney princess, she said the actor genuinely looked the part. “You’re such a cute, cute, cute girl,” she added.

Her words for Huma Qureshi were more personal. The two actors spent considerable time together because they shared several scenes, and Nayanthara said the experience had resulted in a friendship. “On sets, I made a friend,” she asserted.

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‘You still haven’t seen the film’

Her strongest words, however, were reserved for director Geetu Mohandas. Nayanthara and Mohandas have known each other for close to two decades, having acted together in a film years ago. But when Mohandas first approached her for “Toxic,” Nayanthara admitted she was unsure about joining such a large ensemble.

Then came the narration. “From the moment she narrated it to me, I was like, ‘Who is this woman? Who is this director that we have not seen?’” she shared. Her faith in Mohandas only appears to have grown since. “You are going to witness something incredible. You guys are just not ready for it,” she told the audience. “You’ve seen the trailer. I know it’s amazing, but you still haven’t seen the film. It’s going to blow your mind.”

Giving love

But it was not only Mohandas’ vision as a filmmaker that moved Nayanthara. She spoke about the director’s emotional sensitivity towards her cast. She recalled a difficult moment on set when Mohandas briefly stepped away. When she returned, Nayanthara asked whether she had lost control or said something she should not have. The director’s answer was simple: “No, I just gave love.”

That moment, Nayanthara said, left her amazed. “The kind of deep sensitivity that she has toward each and every actor that she’s worked with — she just owns them,” she maintains. “That’s the kind of love that she gives to all of us.”

‘Never seen a more hard-working actor’

If Mohandas earned Nayanthara’s emotional tribute, Yash received her admiration for the scale of his commitment. She joked about his larger-than-life “Rocky Bhai” image, but said that behind it was an actor whose work ethic had left her astonished. “I have never, ever, ever seen a more hard-working actor than this,” she asserted.

Nayanthara spoke of the four-and-a-half years Yash has devoted to “Toxic” and the sacrifices she had seen him make — time away from his family, his children and his personal life.

She also praised his investment in every aspect of the film, from the script and shoot to ensuring that every actor was comfortable and able to give their best. She singled out the way he supported Mohandas through the process, saying she had rarely seen an actor take such ownership of a director’s journey.

The strength behind the journey

Perhaps the most unexpected part of Nayanthara’s speech was her tribute to Radhika Pandit. When films become blockbusters, she said, conversations usually focus on the stars and their hard work. What often goes unacknowledged are the sacrifices made by their families.

“This woman right here, with Yash, I feel is his biggest strength,” Nayanthara pointed out. She spoke about Radhika’s support for the vision Yash had pursued for years and the time she had sacrificed with her husband while he immersed himself in “Toxic.” By the end of the speech, Nayanthara herself had become emotional.

Nayanthara did not use her rare appearance to speak about herself. Instead, she spoke about the women around her, a director whose emotional generosity had moved her, Yash’s extraordinary commitment and the family support behind that journey.

In an industry where trailer launches are often carefully choreographed promotional exercises, her speech felt less like promotion and more like gratitude. She did not have to be there, but for “Toxic,” she clearly wanted to be.