In a move that really shows just how much pan-Indian stars are now worth, veteran producer-distributor Dil Raju has just wrapped up the Andhra Pradesh and Telangana theatrical rights for Yash‘s new action thriller – Toxic: A Fairytale for Grown-Ups. The deal he signed up for reportedly came in at a staggering ₹120 crore – which is roughly $14.4 Million – based on an advance-on-commission basis, making it by far the highest price ever paid out for a non-local Telugu film in the region.
Dil Raju’s production outfit SVC won out after a really competitive back-and-forth with 3 other regional big players. The price tag reflects just how much Yash’s “Rocking Star” brand is pulling in now that he’s back working after his 4-year break following the phenomenal success of KGF: Chapter 2. The trade experts point out that the valuation is basically treating the Geetu Mohandas-directed film like it’s a homegrown Tollywood blockbuster rather than a dubbed import.
Toxic, which is being shot in both Kannada and English, is being produced by KVN Productions and Yash’s own production company, Monster Mind Creations. And the film has got some serious talent behind it including John Wick stunt co-ordinator JJ Perry, and National Award winning cinematographer Rajeev Ravi. Then there’s the female lead line-up featuring Kiara Advani, Nayanthara and Tara Sutaria – which all but guarantees a summer box office smash that will cross linguistic borders.
When asked about the deal, Dil Raju laid it down to Yash’s almost cult status in the Telugu market as the driving force behind the aggressive bid. Toxic is now locked in for a global theatrical release on March 19th 2026, which neatly coincides with the festivities of Eid, Ugadi and Gudi Padwa – a major win for Raju’s outfit SVC as it gets ready for a big Q1 in 2026.
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