Story Content

Prior to the film's release, the highly awaited pan-India film Toxic: A Fairytale for Grown-Ups was hit with controversy. The netizens have savaged the recently tossed ‘Ladies & Ladies' teaser that was dominated by an array of popular ladies like Nayanthara, Kiara Advani, Tara Sutaria, Huma Qureshi, and Rukmini Vasanth.

Although directed by female director Geetu Mohandas, it was a “cringefest” nonetheless, given much of the criticism aired over the teaser, which included harsh remarks about objectification and what they view as the male gaze and the voice-over. Others asked how a woman can make a movie so geared to men.

The teaser continues to spark burst of opinion—from those who gleefully applaud the boldness of it to those who want to see more of it regarding female pleasure, consent, women playing systems, etc., etc.

The controversy underscores the discussions on 'content,' 'gaze,' and 'audience' in contemporary Indian cinema.