Sex over violence any day: Toxic actor defends new teaser, rejects criticism

Actor Benedict Garrett has responded to the backlash over Toxic's Ladies and Ladies teaser during an Instagram question and answer session. His remarks have added to the debate around the promo's sensual imagery, violence and portrayal of women.

In Short

• Benedict Garrett responds to backlash over Toxic teaser's portrayal of women
• Teaser shows sensual and violent scenes with Yash and leading actresses
• Social media debates problematic imagery and female character depiction

Actor Benedict Garrett has responded to the backlash over the latest teaser of Yash's upcoming action thriller Toxic, titled Ladies & Ladies. During a recent Instagram Ask Me Anything session, Garrett, who has a supporting role in the Yash-starrer film, reacted after a user asked why people were criticising the teaser. He said he'd prefer a world with sex over violence while addressing the film's imagery.

His response came after the promo, which appeared to be aimed at introducing the film's women, triggered debate around the problematic imagery on social media. A section of social media users questioned the way the female characters, played by Nayanthara, Kiara Advani, Huma Qureshi, Tara Sutaria and Rukmini Vasanth, had been portrayed.

Replying to the question, Garrett said, "I have no idea. I can only assume people have more problems seeing sexually related content than they do seeing violence, which, in my opinion, is totally f****d. Give me a world with sex over violence any day."

What was in Toxic's new teaser?

The teaser opens with a disclaimer warning children, grandparents and their great-grandparents. It then shifts to a beach sequence in which Yash is shown in an intimate shot with Kiara Advani. Nayanthara is then seen riding a bike and shooting down goons. Huma Qureshi, Tara Sutaria and Rukmini Vasanth are introduced next, with the visuals moving between desire and romance before returning to Yash at the centre of the frame.

The teaser ends on a darker note, with Yash shown holding a revolver inside a woman's mouth, underlining the adult tone of the film. As the female characters appear on screen, a female voice-over speaks about love and deception, saying, "Love makes monsters of women. It's a beautiful illusion if one understands the depth of its deception. And yet here we are. We are fighting for his scraps of his devotion." The video carries the caption, "Ladies and Ladies."

Here's the teaser:

Toxic has also seen multiple changes to its release schedule. The film is now set to release in theatres on August 26. It had earlier been slated for June 4 after moving away from a clash with Dhurandhar: The Revenge on March 19. The makers later said they were pushing back the release as the Middle East conflict arose.

In a statement, the makers said, "There are films we make, and then there are films that remind us why we fell in love with cinema. Toxic has been one such journey. Presenting our film at CinemaCon and witnessing the overwhelming global response reaffirmed what we have always believed - that this film deserves to reach its fullest potential worldwide."

The statement added, "Toxic is complete, and we are currently aligning global distribution and partnerships. In light of this, we have decided to recalibrate our release timeline. While we will not be releasing on June 4 as announced earlier, we will be releasing at a later, globally aligned date. Toxic will come to theatres across the world soon."

Yash also wrote, "At a time when Indian cinema is finding its voice and stepping onto the global stage with such promise, each of us has a responsibility to raise the bar. As an actor-producer, I see this moment as an opportunity to do my part for the Indian film industry and for all of us by taking the time to ensure our film reaches the world with the impact it is meant to have."

Toxic: A Fairy Tale for Grown-ups is directed by Geetu Mohandas and produced by Venkat K Narayana and Yash under KVN Productions and Monster Mind Creations. Written and shot in Kannada and English, the film will also be released in dubbed versions in Hindi, Telugu, Tamil and Malayalam. The film had earlier come under scrutiny over the teaser's bold portrayal of sensuality, and Garrett's remarks have now added another layer to the conversation around it.

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