Yash at the Toxic pre-release event at Malla Reddy University, Hyderabad on Saturday.Actor Yash has directly addressed the criticism around Toxic’s portrayal of women, telling a crowd of several thousand students at the film’s pre-release event in Hyderabad on Saturday that the trailer does not represent what the film actually offers, and that the movie contains “a voice for women” that audiences will only see when they watch it in theatres.At the event, held at Malla Reddy University, Yash first described the film in broad terms. “Toxic is bold. Toxic is original. Toxic is ambitious. Toxic is path-breaking. Toxic will blow your mind,” he said, adding, “Beyond that, it’s a movie which is very deep. Psychologically, what I believe is, art should always push you to the darkest corners and make you ask those uncomfortable questions about human relationships and what we go through psychologically in life. So it’s a great film which will speak to you on a personal level also.”The actor then turned to the women in the crowd, making a case both for the film’s director Geetu Mohandas and for what her presence behind the camera means for the story being told. “This film’s director is also a woman. For us men, to achieve something in life, it is one level of effort. For women, it is double the effort. Society may not accept it. But the point is, everybody will look down upon you. They will say, it is women, what will they do,” Yash said.Also Read: Yash halts Toxic event midway after loudspeaker stand collapses, four injuredHe then connected the point to his own career decisions. “After KGF, I heard people saying, ‘Which big director or commercial formula will Yash go with next?’ No. I already have enough money. I am not respected for my money. I am respected for my work,” he said, making it clear that his choice to work with a relatively less commercially established director like Geetu Mohandas over a bigger, safer name was deliberate.“And the director will prove that every girl, every woman can face every kind of situation and express their thoughts, express their vision and succeed in this society. There is a voice for women in this film, unlike how it is coming across in the trailer. Watch the movie and enjoy. All you girls, you will have a blast, amazing experience,” Yash said.The comments come after weeks of online debate over Toxic’s trailers and the “Tabaahi” song, which drew criticism for its intimate content and what many perceived as a regressive portrayal of its female characters. The film’s ‘A’ certificate from the CBFC and its marketing as a “fairy tale for grown-ups” had already made it a lightning rod for conversations about how mainstream Indian cinema depicts women.Story continues below this adGeetu Mohandas was not present at the Hyderabad pre-release event. Multiple cast members, including Kiara Advani and Huma Qureshi, noted her absence and said she was completing the film’s final post-production work ahead of the August 26 release. Kiara credited Geetu entirely for her character Nadia, saying, “If it was not for Geetu, I don’t think we would have been able to bring this to life. She saw it in me and really gave me wings to fly.” Huma Qureshi called working on the film “being part of history.”Toxic: A Fairy Tale for Grown-Ups releases worldwide on Wednesday, in Kannada, English, Telugu, Tamil, Hindi and Malayalam. It is produced by KVN Venkat K. Narayana and Yash under KVN Productions and Monster Mind Creations.