Toaster Review: Rajkummar Rao and Sanya Malhotra on Netflix

Toaster, a black comedy thriller directed by Vivek Daschaudary, arrived on Netflix on April 15, 2026. Rajkummar Rao stars and also produces. It is a small, dark film, and the critics we read found it more fun in its premise than in its resolution.

The cast and production

According to Wikipedia, Rajkummar Rao and Sanya Malhotra lead the cast. Seema Pahwa, Abhishek Banerjee, Archana Puran Singh, Farah Khan and Upendra Limaye appear in supporting roles. Farah Khan is better known as a choreographer and director, so her place in the cast list is a small curiosity of the film. Seema Pahwa also appears in Yeh Prem Mol Liya, due on November 27. Rao produces the film with Patralekha and Tarun Bali through their KAMPA Films banner. Sanya Malhotra took the role after Sonakshi Sinha, who had earlier been attached to it.

The reviews

Firstpost gave the film 3 out of 5, calling it refreshing but saying the script thins out as it goes on. That is the clearest published summary we found: a strong premise, good performances, a plot that loses grip. We did not find a large set of reviews, and a single review is only one opinion.

What the film is, and is not

Toaster is a black comedy thriller. It is not a theatrical release, so there are no box office numbers to cite. It is also a producer-led project for Rao, which is notable: in 2026 he has acted in and produced Toaster and acted in Prahaar, the Ujjwal Nikam film that opened in theatres on October 16.

Rajkummar Rao's 2026

Prahaar: The Untold Story of Ujjwal Nikam had a day-one India net of ₹2.35 crore, according to Sacnilk and the Times of India. Toaster, by contrast, does not have comparable numbers, because Netflix does not publish daily figures.

The two films show a performer working at two scales: a producer-actor on a small streaming comedy and the lead in a larger theatrical drama. Neither has yet shown the result of the other, and nothing in the published material suggests the two were planned together.

A note on the crew

KAMPA Films is the banner of Rao, Patralekha and Tarun Bali. Producing gives the actor a say in what is made. We do not have statements from the producers on why this film went to Netflix.

What we can verify

We can verify the release date, the director, the cast, the producers and the Firstpost rating. We cannot verify viewership, budget, or any claim about whether the film was a success on the platform. Netflix publishes weekly top-ten lists for some titles, but we did not find Toaster's position in them.

How to read a three-star review

A 3 out of 5 from Firstpost sits in the middle of the scale. Taken with its comment that the script thins out, the rating suggests a recommendation with reservations. It is one data point, and a viewer's own taste for black comedy will matter more than the number. Because the film is on a subscription platform, the cost of finding out is only time.

The bottom line

Toaster is a short black comedy that has a clear premise, a capable cast and a mixed critical reception. If you enjoy Rajkummar Rao in dark comedy, the published reviews suggest it is worth a look, with the caveat that its second half is thinner than its first. Anyone looking for hard numbers will not find them, because streaming releases do not publish box office data.

Sources

*Cover photo: Strivedi1, Wikimedia Commons, *[*https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Rajkummar-_Rao-_Actor.jpg*](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Rajkummar-_Rao-_Actor.jpg)* (CC BY-SA 4.0).*