Kantara's composer Ajaneesh Loknath says he personally enjoyed Yash's Toxic despite reviews.
Loknath argues that negative reviews should not decide audiences' experiences.
His Lagaan comparison suggests classics could face similar dismissal from viewers today.
Kantara composer Ajaneesh Loknath has come out in support of Yash and Geetu Mohandas’ Toxic: A Fairy Tale for Grown-Ups amid the largely negative response to the film. Sharing his views on social media, the music composer said he enjoyed the gangster drama and urged audiences not to let reviews decide their viewing experience. He also drew a comparison with Aamir Khan’s Lagaan, suggesting that even the celebrated classic could have faced dismissive reactions if it were released today.
Ajaneesh Loknath defends Yash's Toxic
In his note, Ajaneesh said, “Don't just read reviews. Experience cinema. I watched Toxic, and I liked it.” He argued that people should watch the film in theatres and form their own opinions because one person's experience of a film may differ entirely from another's.
The composer also pointed out that he had enjoyed films that received negative reviews and missed films he may have liked because of poor critical responses. “Cinema is a personal experience. My taste, my thought process and my experience can be completely different from someone else's,” he wrote.
Ajaneesh further urged people to be careful before influencing others against a film. He wrote, “When a film doesn't do well, it is not only the producer or the actors who suffer. Hundreds of technicians and crew members, who work incredibly hard, are also affected for many years.”
Speaking specifically about Toxic, he praised Yash's choice of character and story. “I really liked the attempt and especially Yash's performance,” Ajaneesh wrote, adding that while a few aspects did not work for him, they were “easily ignorable”.
Ajaneesh Loknath brings up Lagaan
Ajaneesh then referred to a major film that recently completed 25 years, without initially naming Lagaan. He imagined how audiences might react if the film were released today.
“A thought about a 25 year old film,” he wrote, suggesting that viewers could reduce its premise to a simple cricket match between Indians and the British and dismiss it as “lag” or “boring”.
His point was that online reactions can sometimes reduce a film before audiences experience its larger story. Lagaan, starring Aamir Khan and directed by Ashutosh Gowariker, was recently re-released to mark its 25th anniversary.
Ajaneesh concluded, “Reviews are opinions, not your experience. If a film interests you, go to the theatre, watch it yourself and then form your own opinion.”
Toxic, directed by Geetu Mohandas and starring Yash alongside Kiara Advani, Nayanthara, Huma Qureshi, Tara Sutaria and Rukmini Vasanth, has remained at the centre of debate since its theatrical release.
