A teaser for writer-director Geetu Mohandas’s upcoming gangster film Toxic A Fairy Tale for Grown-Ups has created a firestorm of sorts across social platforms since being posted on January 8. This video was intended to celebrate the lead actor Yash’s milestone birthday — his 40th — but a particular incident in the short video featuring an encounter between actor Yash’s Raya and the female lead in a car has created controversy.
As the scene came under fire for being indulgent in objectification ideology with misogynistic undertones, Geetu defended the scene with an Instagram Story. “Chilling while people figure out female pleasure, consent, women playing systems, etc etc,” she cryptically put forth. It seems that the intent of the scene was not to cater to gratification but to make a statement regarding female agency.
To better understand the setting, Geetu later revealed the identity of the woman in the teaser as Beatriz Bach and fondly called her her “cemetery girl.”
This controversy has brought Geetu into the firing line of a broader discussion about gender representation. There was her past public stand against sexism in films, which this teaser appears to undermine. Director Nithin Renji Panicker had this enigmatic remark, which many took to be testimony to her manner.
On the other hand, supporters of the film claim that Toxic marks a deliberate transition into a darker and more experimental area for director Geetu. Director Ram Gopal Varma contributed comments that praised Geetu as "the ultimate symbol of Women Empowerment." He praised her vision that "no male director could ever dream of."
Looking Ahead Directed by KVN Productions, Monster Mind Creations, Toxic boasts quite a prestigious cast, featuring Nayanthara, Huma Qureshi, and Kiara Advani. Although the teaser for Toxic may have caused some divisiveness, it is a fact that it has solidified this release into being one of the most looked forward to this year.
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