Yash is set to return to the big screen with Toxic: A Fairy Tale for Grown-ups and the film has picked up considerable pace in advance bookings ahead of its August 26 release.
Toxic has collected Rs 14.7-crore gross so far in advance bookings for Day 1 across India, excluding blocked seats. With blocked seats included, the total goes up to Rs 23.34 crore, according to trade tracker Sacnilk. So far, the film has sold 3,54,229 tickets across 11,864 shows.
Karnataka Leads
The Kannada version continues to lead advance sales, earning Rs 8.99 crore from 1,93,126 tickets across 1,600 shows. Karnataka is ahead of every other market with Rs 9.16 crore (Rs 12.9 crore with blocked seats), recording 39% occupancy across 1,705 shows. As many as 570 shows in the state are almost full, with another 303 filling fast.
Bengaluru has brought in Rs 5.43 crore in advance bookings for the Kannada 2D version (Rs 8.13 crore with blocked seats), with 35% occupancy across 939 shows. Premium formats in the city are seeing a stronger response, with the Kannada IMAX 2D version at 53% occupancy and 4DX at 55%.
The sharpest response has come from the state's smaller centres. Raichur has recorded the highest occupancy at 82%, followed by Shivamogga at 81%, Kundapura at 72%, Mysuru at 70% and Tumakuru at 67%.
Eyes Bigger Hindi Opening
The Hindi version has earned Rs 5.59 crore from 1,55,140 tickets across 9,794 shows. The National Capital Region is leading the Hindi markets with Rs 64.96 lakh across all formats, followed by Mumbai with Rs 42.76 lakh.
The Hindi release has been given by far the widest footprint, with Hindi 2D alone running 9,606 shows against 1,548 for the Kannada 2D version. Occupancy across the western and northern circuits remains in single digits at this stage. Maharashtra is at 4% across 2,112 shows and Gujarat at 5% across 2,221 shows, counting all language versions in those states.
Among the markets outside Karnataka, Odisha stands out at 24% occupancy, with Bihar at 17%, and Assam and Jharkhand both at 14%.
Toxic was initially expected to open in the Rs 20 crore net range in Hindi, with an outside chance of Rs 30 crore or more if momentum held. Hindi advance sales currently stand at Rs 5.59 crore gross, with the bulk of opening-day sales in these circuits typically coming closer to release.
The Telugu, Tamil and Malayalam versions have together contributed Rs 12.43 lakh, under 1% of the national advance.
The film also has no major Hindi release competing directly with it. Yash's popularity after the success of the KGF films and the buzz around the trailer could further help its opening.
Toxic has received an A certificate with reportedly no cuts. Its runtime is 3 hours and 14 minutes, making it one of the longest Kannada films.
Momentum Builds
With Karnataka's smaller centres close to sold out and the Hindi version scaling fast, Toxic is heading towards release with strong momentum. The next few days will show whether the advance booking trend can turn into a big opening at the box office.
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