Yash’s much-anticipated action drama Toxic has a new date at the box office. For weeks, conversations around a potential clash between two big films — Toxic and Dhurandhar 2 — had been intensifying. On Thursday morning, the makers of Toxic announced that the film will skip its March 19 release date and instead hit screens on June 4, citing the ongoing crisis in the Middle East.
An official statement from KVN Productions and Monster Mind Creations read: “Filmed in Kannada and English, Toxic: A Fairy Tale for Grown-ups is a film created for a global audience. We were excited to share our film with you all on March 19. However, the current uncertainty in the Middle East impacts our goal to connect with the widest possible audience. Therefore, in the interest of our partners and our audience, Toxic: A Fairy Tale for Grown-ups will now be released in cinemas across the globe in English and Indian languages on June 4, 2026 (sic).”
While exhibitors believe there is space for multiple releases in theatres, averting a clash is often the best-case scenario for tentpole films. “We have enough capacity for two films to co-exist.
As far as exhibitors are concerned, handling the maara-mari that happens during screen sharing is part and parcel of our job, but overall, this does make everyone’s life more comfortable. I don’t think the reason to push the release of Toxic is an excuse. Yash is a big star in the Middle East, so it’s a fair decision. Dhurandhar 2 is 3 hours 55 minutes long, so now we can give it four slots easily. Since Dhurandhar never released in the Middle East, it won’t be affected anyway,” explains Kamal Gianchandani, CEO, PVR Pictures Limited,
and President of the Multiplex Association of India (MAI).
Some exhibitors, however, believe the delay may have more to do with the looming box-office clash. Manoj Desai, Executive Director of G7 and Maratha Mandir, says, “As far as Toxic’s delay is concerned, the Middle East feels like an excuse. Dhurandhar 2 is one of the reasons, if not the only reason. However, I do think this is a good decision as the public won’t be divided.” Speaking about Dhurandhar 2’s runtime, he adds, “The first film was 3 hours 34 minutes long, and now the second one is 3 hours 55 minutes. We can only have three shows a day in single screens, which itself is our loss. Our standard show timings are 12 pm, 3 pm, 6 pm and 9 pm. If a film is four hours long, with an interval, it becomes almost four and a half hours.”
Talking about how the industry stands to gain from spacing out big-ticket releases, Akkshay Rathie, Director, Ashirwad Theatres Pvt Ltd, says, “This will benefit both films by at least `75–100 crore of net box office business, which would have eroded from their collections had they come together. This puts us in a good state because it allows every quarter to have something big — Dhurandhar 2 in March, Bhoot Bangla in April and Toxic in June. Big films spreading out over months always helps the business.”
An exhibitor on condition of anonymity revealed how screen-sharing is a major issue when two big films go head to head. “Revenue share is never an issue between the producers and the exhibitors, that all is pre-decided. Bigger issue is screen sharing. It can get ugly as both films will demand more screens and prime time. The audience is also unlikely to watch two big films in the same week as going out for a movie is not cheap, especially with big families. By averting clash with Dhurandhar, Toxic has made sure that they don’t eat into each other’s business. No one will go on record saying they were not confident about clashing with Dhurandhar so the middle east excuse. Everyone wants to save their face and wants an upper hand.”
Ashish Kanakia, CEO, Moviemax Cinemas said, “The decision has been taken by the producers in view of the current situation in the Middle East, and averted clashes are naturally in the best interest of both producers and exhibitors. Both Toxic and Dhurandhar are highly anticipated, large-scale films with strong audience interest. Two major releases arriving on the same date is not ideal in the present scenario; with Toxic now moving to 4th June, we believe the business prospects for both films will be stronger, which is ultimately a positive for the industry as a whole.”
