Yash’s ‘Toxic’ Faces Fresh Controversy Over Illegal Tree Cutting During Shoot

Bengaluru, Feb 10: As the release of Yash’s upcoming film ‘Toxic’ approaches on March 19, 2026, the gangster action-thriller is once again mired in controversy. Alongside the debates over alleged obscenity in the teaser, an old environmental case from 2024 has resurfaced on social media, accusing the film’s makers of illegal tree felling on forest land during the shoot.

The FIR was filed by the Karnataka Forest Department against KVN Productions, the same company behind Thalapathy Vijay’s Jan Nayakan. Satellite imagery reportedly shows a significant loss of greenery on HMT-controlled forest land where the film’s sets were built.

“I personally visited the site where Toxic was being shot. Hundreds of trees were illegally cut in HMT territory, visible even in satellite images. This is a punishable offense, and we will take strict action against those violating the law,” said Karnataka Environment Minister Eshwar B. Khandre.

The controversy gained renewed attention after Reddit users highlighted the 2024 FIR, which also named the General Managers of Canara Bank and Hindustan Machine Tools (HMT) for their alleged involvement.

Earlier, the Karnataka State Women’s Commission received complaints over the teaser’s objectionable scenes, which sparked public outrage. CBFC Chairperson Prasoon Joshi clarified that the teaser is a digital asset and was not required to pass through the censor board’s screening process.

Directed by Geetu Mohandas, Toxic is expected to compete at the box office with Ranveer Singh’s ‘Dhurandhar 2: The Revenge’. Following this, Yash will also feature in Nitesh Tiwari’s ‘Ramayanam’ as Ravana, co-producing the film alongside his role, with a release slated for Diwali 2026.

The film’s legal and environmental controversies add to the anticipation surrounding Yash’s return to the silver screen after the blockbuster success of KGF Chapter 2.