New Delhi: Actor Gulshan Devaiah has spoken about his journey across film industries, his approach to choosing projects, and why he ultimately did not come on board Yash’s much-anticipated film Toxic: A Fairytale for Grown-Ups.

Reflecting on his career trajectory after working in the Kannada industry, Devaiah said that opportunities had been coming his way for several years. “They did offer me Toxic long back. A lot of these offers used to come from before. I started with Kantara,” he shared, adding that filmmaker Geetu Mohandas had personally reached out to him for the project. According to Devaiah, the two had detailed discussions and Mohandas was keen on casting him.

However, the actor said the project eventually did not materialise for him due to practical constraints. “It didn’t work out for a variety of reasons. Mostly, I think it was scheduling. Their film was such a big project, spread across many different parts,” he explained. At the time, Devaiah said he was already juggling multiple commitments and found it difficult to accommodate another large-scale, franchise-level film. “I already had things going on and was finding it hard to manage. Taking on something of that scale just wouldn’t have worked for me,” he said.

Interestingly, Devaiah pointed out that his first Kannada-speaking role came in an unexpected way and not through a Kannada film. “My first Kannada-speaking part was actually in a Hindi film. It was completely accidental and not planned at all,” he recalled, referring to Anurag Kashyap’s 2009 film. He added that Hunter later became a key project that brought him wider recognition.

On a personal note, Devaiah spoke about staying grounded and connected to his roots. “My parents’ house is where I keep going,” he said, suggesting that returning home continues to be a source of balance amid the demands of his profession.

Toxic, which marks Yash’s return to the big screen after the success of KGF: Chapter 2, has been in development for several years. The film is being made simultaneously in Kannada and English, with dubbed versions planned in multiple Indian languages.

The film features Kiara Advani, Huma Qureshi, Tara Sutaria and Rukmini Vasanth in prominent roles. Written by Yash and Geetu Mohandas, it is produced by Venkat K. Narayana and Yash under the banners of KVN Productions and Monster Mind Creations. The technical team includes cinematographer Rajeev Ravi, music composer Ravi Basrur and editor Ujwal Kulkarni.

Toxic is scheduled for a theatrical release on 19 March 2026, coinciding with the festive weekend of Eid, Ugadi and Gudi Padwa.