Toxic Review: Yash's Gangster Film Sparks Debate Over Missing Female Gaze

Three years after its announcement, Toxic has finally reached theatres, bringing together Yash's star power and director Geetu Mohandas's filmmaking. While the film delivers a world of gangsters, violence, power struggles and spectacle, one of its biggest points of discussion is whether it fulfils the promise of presenting the story through a meaningful female gaze.

Geetu Mohandas had earlier described Toxic as a gangster film with a female gaze, creating expectations that the film would explore a traditionally male-dominated genre through a different perspective. However, the film's narrative remains largely centred on Yash's character, Raya, raising questions about how much space its female characters receive outside their relationship with him.

The film features Nayanthara, Kiara Advani, Tara Sutaria, Rukmini Vasanth and Huma Qureshi in significant roles. On paper, each character has the potential for an independent and compelling storyline. However, the narrative reportedly continues to return to Raya, with many of the women's identities and conflicts shaped by their connection to his character.

Nayanthara plays Ganga, Raya's elder sister, whose troubled childhood and sacrifices form an important part of the story. However, much of her character is explored through Raya's memories and understanding of her experiences, leaving limited insight into her own desires, fears and motivations.

Tara Sutaria's Rebecca is closely connected to Raya through a romantic relationship. While the story shows the consequences of betrayal and emotional pain, the narrative offers limited exploration of Rebecca's individual perspective outside her relationship with him.

Kiara Advani's Nadia appears to have one of the more developed character arcs. Her journey involves difficult choices, emotional turmoil and consequences that extend beyond a conventional romance. Yet her storyline also eventually becomes closely tied to Raya and the impact of his actions.

Rukmini Vasanth's Mellisa is another woman whose story remains connected to Raya's world. The film presents opportunities to explore how women experience relationships with a man surrounded by violence and power, but these questions reportedly remain largely unexplored.

Huma Qureshi's Elizabeth is given comparatively more space outside the central romantic framework. However, her character eventually becomes involved in a revenge-driven storyline, with limited exploration of her motivations and perspective beyond the larger conflict.

The central criticism surrounding Toxic is not the lack of women in important roles or the absence of talented female actors. Instead, the debate focuses on perspective. A female gaze requires more than significant screen presence; it involves exploring women's experiences, desires, fears, choices and contradictions as independent parts of the narrative.

In Toxic, the women remain closely linked to Raya's story. Ganga is defined largely as his sister, while Rebecca, Nadia and Mellisa are connected to him through relationships and Elizabeth is drawn into the wider power struggle surrounding the central characters.

As a commercial gangster drama, this narrative structure may not be unusual. However, expectations were different because Toxic was presented as a gangster film that would bring a female perspective into a genre dominated by masculine power and violence.

The film has therefore sparked discussion over whether it delivers on that promise. While Toxic brings scale, action and Yash's screen presence, the question surrounding its female characters remains central: are they truly given their own perspective, or are their stories ultimately viewed through the world of its male protagonist?