Bengaluru court shields Yash’s Toxic from false and defamatory content

Bengaluru: With Toxic: A Fairytale For Grown-Ups set to reach cinemas on August 26, its makers have secured interim legal protection against the circulation of allegedly false and defamatory content about the film.

According to a report by Live Law, a Bengaluru court has granted an ex-parte interim injunction restraining unknown persons from publishing or circulating false, malicious, defamatory or derogatory content concerning Toxic across social media, YouTube and other platforms.

The order was passed by the Additional City Civil and Sessions Judge in a suit filed by KVN Productions LLP. The court found a prima facie case in favour of the producers and held that the balance of convenience also favoured granting interim protection. It said that refusing the injunction could defeat the purpose of the suit and lead to multiple proceedings.

The order covers content communicated, published, circulated, shared, posted, streamed or otherwise made accessible through any form of media, whether before or after the film’s release.

The injunction specifically targets material that is false, malicious, defamatory or derogatory concerning Toxic. It does not amount to a blanket restriction on audiences or critics expressing genuine views about the film.

The court’s order is in the nature of a John Doe injunction, allowing protection to be extended against unidentified individuals where a genuine threat and prima facie case are established. The court relied on a Karnataka High Court precedent, Meera Ajith v. John Doe @ Ashok Kumar, in reaching its decision.

The interim protection will remain in force until the next hearing on September 28. The court also clarified that the order cannot be used for purposes other than those for which it was granted.

The legal move comes just hours before the film’s scheduled theatrical release, highlighting the growing importance of online conversations around major film launches. Social media can amplify unverified claims rapidly, making pre-release misinformation a concern for filmmakers and producers.

Toxic: A Fairytale For Grown-Ups is produced by Venkat K. Narayana under the KVN Productions and Monster Mind Creations banners. Yash leads the film in a dual role as Raya and Ticket, with Nayanthara, Huma Qureshi, Kiara Advani, Tara Sutaria and Rukmini Vasanth in key roles.

The film is scheduled to release in theatres on August 26.

With the court order now in place, the makers have sought to draw a legal line between legitimate audience conversation and content they allege is false or defamatory, as Toxic enters its crucial release window.