Last Updated:January 16, 2026, 00:33 IST

Toxic actress Beatriz Taufenbach reportedly deletes Instagram amid backlash over an intimate scene with Yash, as complaints over the teaser reach authorities.

Yash in a still from Toxic: A Fairytale for Grown-Ups teaser.

Kannada superstar Yash’s upcoming film Toxic has found itself at the centre of controversy following the release of its teaser on January 8. A brief but intimate car scene featuring Yash and a female actor quickly went viral, drawing sharp reactions online and prompting multiple complaints. Amid the backlash and intense scrutiny, the actress in the scene—identified as Beatriz Taufenbach—has reportedly deleted her Instagram account.

Speculation around the actress’s identity began soon after the teaser dropped, with social media users keen to know who starred opposite Yash in the controversial visuals. Director Geetu Mohandas eventually addressed the curiosity by revealing the actress’s name in an Instagram Story, identifying her as Beatriz Taufenbach. Shortly after, reports emerged suggesting that Beatriz had deactivated or deleted her Instagram profile amid the growing backlash.

According to reports, Beatriz Taufenbach is a Brazilian model and actress who began her career in modelling in 2014. She is also a singer and has worked across multiple creative fields before being cast in Toxic.

Toxic Teaser Lands in Legal Trouble

The controversy escalated after the Aam Aadmi Party’s (AAP) Women’s Wing submitted a formal complaint to the Karnataka State Women’s Commission, objecting to the teaser. In its complaint, the party alleged that the visuals were “obscene” and “explicit,” claiming they adversely impact the social well-being of women and children while undermining Kannada cultural values.

Following the complaint, the Commission reportedly asked the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) to take necessary action. However, sources within the CBFC clarified that the teaser was released exclusively on YouTube and does not fall under the certification body’s jurisdiction. Officials pointed out that certification is mandatory only for films and trailers meant for theatrical exhibition, while promotional content released on digital platforms remains outside its purview.

Social activist Dinesh Kallahalli has also filed a formal complaint with the CBFC, objecting to what he described as “obscene, sexually explicit, and morally offensive” scenes in the teaser.

According to the complaint addressed to CBFC chairperson Prasoon Joshi, the Toxic teaser contains “scenes that are grossly obscene, sexually explicit, and vulgar in nature.”

“The said trailer is being widely circulated on various social media platforms without any effective restriction, thereby exposing the general public—including minors and young persons—to content that is legally impermissible and socially harmful,” he stated.

Geetu Mohandas Responds, Industry Reacts

As the teaser continued to trend, director Geetu Mohandas appeared to respond to the criticism with a cryptic Instagram Story. “Chilling while people figure out female pleasure, consent, women playing systems, etc., etc.,” she wrote, seemingly addressing the trolling and moral outrage.

While a section of the internet questioned the relevance of the scene, filmmaker Ram Gopal Varma publicly applauded Mohandas for her bold creative choice.

Toxic also stars Nayanthara, Rukmini Vasanth, Kiara Advani, Huma Qureshi and Tara Sutaria. The film is slated for a theatrical release on March 19, where it is set to clash with Dhurandhar Part 2.