Actor Yash, who was in the Los Angeles this past week, promoting his film ‘Ramayana’, also screened nine minute footage of his next ‘Toxic: A Fairytale for Grown-Ups’. During a candid discussion about the film, the leading man revealed fresh new details, describing the film as an unconventional cinematic experience that challenges traditional storytelling.Yash opens up about ‘Toxic’ plotYash, in a discussion with a news portal, highlighted the film’s stark contrast to his mythological epic ‘Ramayana’. “Toxic is totally different from Ramayana. It’s a wild film. It’s a fairytale for grown-ups. It’s a father-son revenge saga,” he said.The actor also teased the film’s plot, saying, “It is set in a very interesting era, when India got independence in 1947. A small state in India, Goa was still under the Portuguese rule till 1961. So that’s the era in which we are setting the premise in. It is a very fascinating period in history and it’s a fictional gangster film.”Anurag Kashyap praises ‘Toxic’Meanwhile, filmmaker Anurag Kashyap, in another interview back home with Vishwavani TV, emphasised that the film goes beyond conventional interpretations of the term ‘adult’. When asked about the film, Kashyap said, “It is something that will blow people away in terms of things that she (Geetu Mohandas) has done and achieved.” Clarifying that the title of the film should not be linked to explicit content, he added, “A Fairytale for Grown-Ups means you have to broaden your mind. Grown ups doesn’t always have to be about sexuality. You have to expand your morality. You have to expand your definition of how Hindi cinema has always seen our women characters or men characters. It expands that point. It is not always about sexuality.”He further noted, “When we say adult, it doesn’t mean the rating as well, adult means somebody who can think for themselves. So ‘Toxic’ is about people who can think for themselves.”

Anurag Kashyap defends ‘Toxic’

Early this year, Kashyap defended the teaser of the upcoming pan-India film, and called out the double standards in Indian society amid the controversy. Speaking at the Fearless Filming session, Kashyap praised Toxic as an extremely courageous attempt and said, “The outrage expressed against the teaser reveals our cultural hypocrisy. When male actors appear shirtless on screen or display excessive machismo, no one questions it. But when a woman celebrates her sexuality, it becomes hard to accept.”At the time, a complaint was filed with the Karnataka State Commission for Women, asserting that the visuals could harm social values and “degrade the dignity of women and children.”‘Toxic’ which postponed its release, will now hit theatres on June 4.

It is the age of bite-sized entertainment. Reels (and TikToks in the West) have overtaken YouTube videos as our primary source of entertainment. Shows are becoming more popular than films in many parts. And taking that to its next logical progression are microdramas. The trend, which began on YouTube and social media, is now mainstream with streaming giants backing it. And India may just be on the precipice of a boom.

The shift to a platform like JioHotstar, bringing them on board, marks a big change in how the market for this bite-sized content works in India. Last week, JioHotstar launched Tadka with 100+ titles on day one. The microdrama can now reach the streaming giant’s vast subscriber base (300 million and counting).

Amazon MXPlayer already has MX Fatafat, its own hub of microdramas. This will inevitably lead to a newer audience discovering microdramas, one that is not already in the loop and does not bother to ‘look for’ this content. It is now being served directly to them, in their palms. What began on platforms like YouTube and Kuku TV as short, snackable storytelling is now evolving into a more structured content ecosystem.

Perhaps the biggest change microdramas are bringing is a democratisation of storytelling. Making a film or a show is an expensive task. Getting it on a platform is an even bigger challenge. But microdramas are proving that compelling stories do not need to come from traditional industry centres to travel. This allows cash-strapped creators to step forward. And with big streaming platforms stepping in, it is only bound to get bigger.

Akshay Kumar has opened up about his son Aarav Bhatia, revealing that the young star kid has consciously chosen to stay away from the film industry and build his own path in fashion. The actor also shared that Aarav has already started working and is learning the ropes from the ground up. “He is working and earning around Rs 4,500 through a job. Why shouldn’t he? It’s a good thing.”

Akshay Kumar has opened up about his son Aarav Bhatia, revealing that the young star kid has consciously chosen to stay away from the film industry and build his own path in fashion.Speaking about Aarav, Akshay made it clear that acting isn’t on his son’s radar.“He doesn’t want to come into films. There’s no plan at all. He wants to be in fashion,” Akshay told Shubhankar Mishra. The actor also shared that Aarav has already started working and is learning the ropes from the ground up.“He is working and earning around Rs 4,500 through a job. Why shouldn’t he? It’s a good thing.”Elaborating further, Akshay added that Aarav is travelling to understand his craft better. “These days, he goes to villages and all. He’s learning fashion from there—understanding different kinds of prints and everything.”

‘We are very much alike’

Reflecting on their bond, Akshay clarified that while there are differences, they also share strong similarities.“I think we are hardly different and very much alike in many ways. He is into health, and so am I. He is very focused and loves his work.”

‘Don’t harm anybody’

When asked about parenting, the actor said he doesn’t believe in giving lectures.“I don’t give lectures—not to anyone, especially not to my son. Just one thing: don’t harm anybody. Don’t hurt anyone. That’s it. The rest, he should handle his own life.”