Just hours before Toxic reaches theatres on August 26, one of its biggest markets is still stuck in a release-eve bottleneck. Advance bookings for Yash’s big-ticket action drama have yet to open in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, where exhibitors are still working through a show allocation clash with Ravi Teja’s Irumudi, the current box office frontrunner in the region.
The crunch is straightforward but high-stakes. Irumudi, which opened on August 21, has held strongly through its first four days and continues to command demand in both single screens and multiplexes. At the same time, Toxic is arriving as a major pan-India event film and is pushing for wide showcasing across the same circuit. With Wednesday’s show plans still being locked at the eleventh hour, the delay has turned into one of the most closely watched last-minute distribution stories ahead of the release.
A trade source down South told , “Toxic’s advance booking has not opened in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana due to show-sharing issues. Last Friday, August 21, saw the release of the Ravi Teja-starrer Irumudi, and it’s on an unstoppable run. The distributors of Irumudi, Mythri Movie Makers, are clear that there’s strong demand for their film and that it deserves adequate showcasing in single screens as well as sufficient shows in multiplexes. However, Toxic’s distributors, Sri Venkateswara Creations, have asked for all shows in single screens and a huge chunk of the showcasing in multiplexes. They believe that their film carries tremendous excitement and hence feel justified in their demand.”
The source further said, “Irumudi did very well over the weekend and even on Monday, its collections hardly dropped. In fact, the film continued to collect in double digits. This, coupled with Toxic’s mid-week release, has further complicated the scenario. Less than 24 hours are left for the release of Toxic, and the show plans for both films for Wednesday are yet to be finalized.”
An industry insider commented, “The distributors of both films are trying their best to sort out the issue and find a middle ground. Expect bookings for Toxic and the revised show plans for Irumudi to open in the next few hours.”
Why The AP Telangana Standoff Matters
The pressure has intensified because Irumudi has not slowed down after its opening weekend. The Ravi Teja starrer collected Rs. 12.12 crores on day one, Rs. 12.75 crores on Saturday, Rs. 15.82 crores on Sunday, and Rs. 10.25 crores on Monday, taking its four-day total to nearly Rs. 51 crores. That sustained hold has made exhibitors more cautious about surrendering too many shows too quickly.
For Toxic, the timing adds another complication. A mid-week release leaves little room for a staggered rollout strategy in a key Telugu market where front-loaded momentum can shape opening-day optics. As a result, the final negotiations have come down to how much space Irumudi retains and how aggressively Toxic is accommodated from its first day.
Release-Eve Pressure On Toxic
With less than 24 hours to go, bookings in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana are expected to open only after revised show-sharing plans are finalised. That puts unusual pressure on a film of Toxic’s scale, especially when the rest of the country has already signalled strong pre-release interest.
Toxic: A Fairy Tale for Grown-Ups is directed by Geetu Mohandas and produced by Venkat K. Narayana and Yash under KVN Productions and Monster Mind Creations. The period gangster film stars Yash alongside Kiara Advani, Nayanthara, Huma Qureshi, Tara Sutaria and Rukmini Vasanth. The film is positioned as one of the biggest releases in Yash’s post-KGF career, which is why every screen in a vital market like Andhra Pradesh and Telangana matters on opening day.
Yash’s Recent And Upcoming Work
The release stakes around Toxic are especially sharp because it marks Yash’s first film after the KGF phenomenon turned him into one of Indian cinema’s biggest pan-India stars. That long gap has only amplified expectations around how his next theatrical outing opens, particularly in strong southern markets. Beyond Toxic, Yash is also confirmed to appear in Ramayana: Part 1, scheduled for release in November 2026, keeping the spotlight firmly on his next phase as both star and large-scale event-film draw.
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