Fresh trouble for Yash’s ‘Toxic’; Christian federation files complaint

Bengaluru: Actor Yash’s highly anticipated film ‘Toxic’ has landed in yet another controversy. After facing strong objections from women’s organisations over its teaser, the movie has now drawn sharp criticism from the Christian community, with a national body filing a formal complaint alleging disrespect to Christian sentiments.

The National Christian Federation has accused the makers of the film of insulting Christianity through certain visuals shown in the teaser and promotional material. The organisation has submitted a complaint to the Karnataka Film Chamber of Commerce, the Chief Secretary of the State Government, the Home Minister and the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC).

According to the complaint, scenes in the teaser allegedly portray the Christian archangel Saint Michael in an objectionable and disrespectful manner. The federation claims that some visuals have been shot in front of religious symbols in a way that hurts the religious sentiments of the Christian community.

Pradeep Kumar, President of the National Christian Federation, stated that the film contains scenes that are “indecent and offensive” to Christians. “Depicting vulgar or inappropriate visuals in front of sacred Christian figures like Saint Michael amounts to an insult to our faith. Such content cannot be accepted,” he said.

The federation has demanded immediate removal of the controversial scenes from the teaser and all online platforms, including YouTube. It has also urged the film team to publicly apologise to the Christian community for hurting religious sentiments.

“We request the authorities to intervene and direct the makers to delete these objectionable portions. If the visuals are not removed and an apology is not issued, we will be forced to initiate legal action,” Pradeep Kumar warned in his complaint.

This is the second major backlash the film has faced in recent weeks. Soon after the teaser release, several women’s organisations had raised objections, claiming that certain scenes were vulgar and portrayed women in an objectionable manner. A complaint was also filed with the Karnataka State Women’s Commission, demanding removal of those visuals.

The teaser of ‘Toxic’, directed by Geetu Mohandas, has generated massive buzz among fans, but the repeated controversies have put the film team under pressure. So far, neither actor Yash nor the production house has issued any official response to the latest allegations.

With multiple complaints now pending before different authorities, the makers may be forced to make changes before the film goes for final certification. Whether the controversies will impact the film’s release remains to be seen.

As expectations around the big-budget project continue to rise, ‘Toxic’ is fast becoming one of the most debated films in recent Kannada cinema.