Is Yash ‘ghost-directing’ Toxic, sidelining Geetu Mohandas, actor Sudev Nair responds: ‘No truth at all’

Amid all this, a rumour surfaced on social media recently alleging that Yash had taken over the direction of the film and had even subjected Toxic to some reshoots due to purported dissatisfaction with the original output. Since then, several unverified reports have been circulating, some even claiming that Yash is now completely ghost-directing the period gangster film, effectively sidelining Geetu Mohandas. Now, Malayalam actor Sudev Nair, who plays a key role in Toxic, has stepped forward to address the speculation.

 

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In an exclusive conversation with SCREEN, Sudev rubbished the rumours, maintaining that he never even spotted any ego clash between the actor and director. Going one step further, he even stated that it has been the most stress-free set he has ever worked on. “There is absolutely no truth to it at all,” he asserts, adding, “It’s very evident that some jealous people are running this campaign. You should see how our set functions. It’s one of the best examples of collaborative work.”

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“Besides being a big, massy star, who understands that pulse very well, he’s also a very good actor. Combine that with Geetu’s sensibilities… He’s always taking input from her and vice versa. Both of their aim are only to get the best. There has never been any ego clash. If needed, she will correct him or let him know if something isn’t working, and suggest alternatives. Then he will also try different things and keep working until both of them are satisfied. That’s the same process she adopts with me as well. She will tell me what to do, and until I, too, am satisfied, we will keep doing the same things. He (Yash) will also offer inputs at times, and she is always open to all those. She listens to my inputs too. It’s one of those sets that’s never been stressful, which is a sign of a good environment. It’s mainly because everybody is on the same page, and that mindset trickles from the top. Whoever is at the top, if they are stressed and frustrated, then it trickles down to everybody,” Sudev adds, maintaining that he can proudly say Toxic hasn’t been one such chaotic set.

Toxic: A Fairy Tale for Grown-Ups director Geetu Mohandas with actor Yash and action director JJ Perry. (Credit: Instagram/@toxic_themovie)

Toxic: A Fairy Tale for Grown-Ups star Yash with action director JJ Perry. (Credit: Instagram/@toxic_themovie)

Bankrolled by Venkat K Narayana and Yash under the banners of KVN Productions and Monster Mind Creations, Toxic was initially scheduled to hit the screens on April 10, 2025, but its release was pushed to March 19, 2026. A celebrated actor in Malayalam, Geetu Mohandas transitioned into directing with Liar’s Dice (2013), which featured Geetanjali Thapa and Nawazuddin Siddiqui. The movie won the National Film Awards for Best Actress (Geetanjali) and Best Cinematography (Rajeev Ravi). In 2019, she returned with her sophomore directorial venture, Moothon, starring Nivin Pauly in the lead role, which opened to global acclaim and has since been ranked among the finest Malayalam movies of recent times.

While Toxic is still under production, Sudev Nair is currently gearing up for the release of his first streaming series, Kammattam, which will premiere on ZEE5 on September 5.