Bollywood Hungama

Koffee With Karan 9: Kiara Advani opens up on backlash over intimate scenes with Yash in Toxic; says Sidharth Malhotra was never bothered by online criticism

Kiara Advani has spoken about the online criticism she faced following the promotional rollout of Toxic: A Fairy Tale for Grown-Ups, particularly the scrutiny surrounding her intimate scenes with Kannada superstar Yash. During her appearance on the latest episode of Koffee With Karan alongside husband Sidharth Malhotra, the actress addressed the gendered nature of the backlash and explained how her partners response helped her deal with the commentary. The controversy had sparked conversations on social media, with some users questioning Kiaras decision to feature in bold sequences despite being married. However, similar personal scrutiny was largely absent in the case of Yash, who is also married and a parent. Discussing how the online reaction affected her and whether it became a subject of conversation at home, Kiara credited Sidharths attitude for helping her remain unaffected. I actually fed off his energy, the actress explained. He actually never cared about it. Hes never brought it up. We have never spoken about it. It didnt affect us. He was never bothered. And like you said Karan, it has been happening now for donkeys years for decades. Sidharth also confirmed that the issue did not become a discussion between them, saying, We actually didnt discuss. Kiara further pointed out that the online response was not entirely negative, with several people calling out the perceived double standards in the criticism directed at her. She said, But what I must touch upon is that when I was seeing what was going on on the internet, there was a massive reaction of people who have already started calling it out the hypocrisy and I really didnt feel the need to justify, she stated. The conversation also touched upon the films commercial performance. Despite generating considerable anticipation and recording strong advance bookings ahead of its opening, Toxic reportedly witnessed a sharp decline over its initial theatrical run. Kiara admitted that the response was difficult to process, especially because the team had not anticipated the films performance. On day one it was really heartbreaking especially for this film because I think as a team I dont think any of us saw it coming when it misfired, despite it opening to what it did, Advani acknowledged. The actress added that the initial disappointment gradually gave way to a more personal assessment of the experience, particularly the appreciation she received for taking on a role outside her usual comfort zone. That weekend, I was very low about it. But then, the fact that I got a lot of appreciation for going out of my comfort zone. For me, I think, in my journey, this will be defining, she shared. Through the conversation, Kiara reflected on both the personal scrutiny surrounding the film and the professional lessons she took away from the experience. Also Read: Kiara Advani enjoys a beach getaway with Sidharth Malhotra and daughter Saraayah amid second pregnancy; see post