The teaser of the upcoming film ‘Toxic: A Fairy Tale for Grown-Ups’ has created a strong reaction online. The film stars Yash as gangster Raya. In the teaser, one scene shows Raya inside a car with a female character, while violence is happening outside. This short moment got a lot of attention on social media. Many viewers felt uncomfortable and started talking about violence and objectification. Also the director Geetu Mohandas had earlier criticised ‘Kasaba’ for objectifying women, although Mammootty’s character was a dark shaded one. Now with ‘Toxic’ teaser also showcasing the same, the netizens are divided.
Geetu Mohandas responds online
Director Geetu Mohandas did not stay silent after the criticism. She shared a message on her Instagram Stories that many people called cryptic. She wrote, “Chilling while people figure out female pleasure, consent, women playing systems, etc., etc.” Her words sparked even more discussion. Some felt she was defending the scene, while others felt the explanation was not clear enough.
Female character revealed by director
Later, Geetu Mohandas shared another post on Instagram. She revealed the identity of the female character shown in the teaser. She posted a picture of Beatriz Bach and wrote, “This beauty is my cemetery girl.” With this post, she seemed to suggest that the character had more meaning than what was shown in the teaser. Even after this clarification, many viewers were still unhappy and continued to question the scene and its intent.
Social media reacts strongly
The comments under the post showed how divided people are. One viewer wrote, “WCC = Selective Criticism.” Another questioned past silence and said, “Why didn’t you criticize the movie Kasaba in the same way? Couldn’t it have been taken in the same sense at that time?”One angry comment read, “The scene is celebrating peak masculinity through objectifying women as a sex toy. I once respected WCC, but this is hypocrism..”Another person wrote, “Calling it “consensual” is a reach. The scene is clearly meant to establish the character. She’s merely used as a weapon! It’s not even just objectifying! It’s something more disgusting & sick!.”One more comment said, “Objectifying women’s bodies with choking scenes what if it was a male director? These guys were speaking against Prithvi, that he objectified some bar dancer in an item song.”The debate around ‘Toxic’ continues, with many waiting to see how the film handles its themes when it finally releases.
