Yash’s upcoming film Toxic has hit Rs 35 crore in worldwide advance bookings, four days ahead of its release on August 26.

The strong pre-sales have made Toxic the highest-grossing Kannada film of 2026 through advance bookings alone, surpassing KD – The Devil’s final closing collection of Rs 33.01 crore.

In India, the film has crossed Rs 18.26 crore gross from advance bookings, with roughly 4.5 lakh tickets sold across the country so far.

The booking pace has been especially strong in the Hindi market, where the film has sold more than 60,000 tickets within the first 24 hours, surpassing early bookings for Ranbir Kapoor’s Animal.

Trade analysts, who had earlier projected a Rs 20 crore net opening in Hindi, now expect the film to significantly exceed that mark based on current booking momentum.

Toxic marks Yash’s first film since KGF: Chapter 2 nearly four years ago, and releases worldwide on August 26 across Kannada, Hindi, English, Telugu, Tamil and Malayalam.

Toxic is directed by Geetu Mohandas and produced through KVN Productions and Yash’s own banner, Monster Mind Creations.

The film has received an ‘A’ certificate from Indian censors and stars Yash in a dual role alongside Nayanthara, Kiara Advani, Tara Sutaria, Rukmini Vasanth and Huma Qureshi.

In India alone, Toxic has crossed Rs 18.26 crore gross from advance bookings, with around 4.5 lakh tickets sold so far.

Karnataka has led ticket sales by a wide margin, contributing the bulk of the advance booking revenue ahead of the film’s release.

Toxic releases worldwide on August 26 across Kannada, Hindi, English, Telugu, Tamil and Malayalam, marking Yash’s first film since KGF: Chapter 2 nearly four years ago.

The film’s Hindi advance booking alone has crossed 60,000 tickets within the first 24 hours, with trade watchers projecting an opening well beyond the initially estimated Rs 20 crore net range.

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Zombie Reddy 2 has been officially announced on Teja Sajja’s birthday, with the sequel to his 2021 horror-comedy hit revealed to fans.

The makers have confirmed the sequel will be mounted on a much bigger scale than the original, turning Zombie Reddy into a complete franchise.

A specific theatrical release date is yet to be announced, though the makers have shared plans for a considerably larger production this time around.

Notably, Prasanth Varma, who directed the original film, will not be returning for the sequel, with a different director confirmed to take charge, though not yet named.

The announcement was deliberately timed to coincide with Teja Sajja’s birthday, a move seen as designed to generate maximum organic buzz for the franchise’s expansion.

Teja Sajja has had a strong run since the original Zombie Reddy, going on to headline the hit superhero film Hanu-Man in 2024 and Mirai in 2025.

Teja Sajja has built a strong run in Telugu cinema in recent years, following up Zombie Reddy with lead roles in the hit superhero film Hanu-Man in 2024 and Mirai in 2025.

The announcement timing, landing on Teja Sajja’s 31st birthday, has been described as a deliberate marketing move designed to generate maximum organic buzz for the franchise expansion right out of the gate.

The original Zombie Reddy, released in 2021, followed a game designer whose trip to a village turns catastrophic after a zombie outbreak, with the story centred on discovering a cure involving water from a Shiva Lingam.

The first film is produced by Apple Tree Studios and is available for streaming on Prime Video.

Prasanth Varma, who directed the original Zombie Reddy, will not be returning for the sequel, with a different filmmaker set to take over though not yet officially named.

Commentators covering the announcement have noted that changing directors carries some risk, but framed it as a deliberate move by the makers to bring a fresh creative take rather than repeat the first film’s formula.

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Actor Kareena Kapoor Khan marked husband Saif Ali Khan’s 56th birthday with a heartfelt social media post featuring a set of previously unseen pictures of the couple.

In her caption, Kareena described Saif as her ‘forever ride or die,’ a message that quickly drew a wave of comments and likes from fans and fellow Bollywood celebrities.

The couple, who have been married since 2012, frequently share glimpses of their personal life on social media, though both are known to keep much of their day-to-day life away from the public eye.

Saif Ali Khan, who began his acting career in the early 1990s, has built a career spanning romantic comedies, action films and more recently darker, character-driven roles.

Fans and industry colleagues also took to social media to wish the actor on his birthday, with several posting throwback photographs and clips from his earlier films.

Kareena remains active in the industry, balancing acting projects with a visible presence on social media platforms, where she regularly shares updates from her personal and professional life.

Saif and Kareena, who share two sons together, are frequently photographed together at Mumbai film industry events and public functions.

Birthday tributes from star spouses have historically drawn heavy engagement on social media in the Indian film industry, with such posts often generating widespread reshares and comments from fans.

The pictures shared by Kareena were drawn from earlier moments in their relationship, adding a nostalgic element to the tribute that resonated with the couple’s long-time followers.

Saif Ali Khan, born into the Pataudi royal family, is the son of former Indian cricket captain Mansoor Ali Khan Pataudi and actor Sharmila Tagore, and made his acting debut in 1992.

Over a career spanning more than three decades, Saif has won a National Film Award and multiple Filmfare Awards, and remains one of Bollywood’s most recognisable leading men across generations of releases.

Photo by Bollywood Hungama, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 3.0