Ramayana to Border 2, Bollywood films to look forward to in 2026

lsquoRamayana ndash Part 1rsquoScreens will light up this Diwali with arguably the most ambitious Hindi film in decades both in terms of budget and intent Filmmaker Nitesh Tiwari who gave Bollywood its biggest blockbuster of the time with Dangal 2016 aims higher this time as he offers a retelling of one of Indiarsquos biggest epics Ramayana For his twopart passion project the director has some of the best talents on board mdash Ranbir Kapoor as Lord Rama Sai Pallavi as Sita and the most exciting detail perhaps remains Yashrsquos RavanalsquoLove amp WarrsquoA sweeping story of romance contrasting ideologies and betrayal An allstar cast of Ranbir Kapoor Alia Bhatt and Vicky Kaushal And at the helm of it all filmmaker Sanjay Leela Bhansali Thatrsquos enough reason for us to wait for Love amp War Plus Bhansali has taken on composing duties as well promising a movie whose score matches its grand visualslsquoHaiwaanrsquoAkshay Kumar and Saif Ali Khan have reunited after nearly two decades for Haiwaan Expect a thrilling catandmouse chase as filmmaker Priyadarshan revisits his Malayalam hit Oppam 2016 reimagining it for the Hindi audience Word is that Khan plays the protagonist with visual impairment and Kumar the antagonist which is a rare turn for himlsquoBattle of GalwanrsquoBattle of Galwan could be a departure for Salman Khan Unlike the superstarrsquos usual offerings here the story does the heavylifting Director Apoorva Lakhia takes us back to the 2020 Galwan clash which saw the Indian Army fighting the Chinese troops with sticks and sheer will The story is hardhitting and the action relentless Now the question is will it prove to be that elusive hit for Khan after a string of underperformers at the box office lsquoDrishyam 3rsquoWe know what Ajay Devgnrsquos fans will be doing on October 2 this year In Drishyam 3 the superstar returns as Vijay Salgaonkar the clever everyman who continues the catandmouse game with the cops to keep his family safe Key cast members such as Tabu Akshaye Khanna Shriya Saran and Ishita Dutta reprise their roles in director Abhishek Pathakrsquos crime thrillerlsquoJailer 2rsquoJailer 2 brings Rajinikanth back as Tiger Muthuvel Pandian the retired prison guardturnedreluctant action hero after the first instalmentrsquos massive success in 2023 Director Nelson Dilipkumarrsquos Tamil movie includes original cast members Ramya Krishnan Yogi Babu and Mirnaa with additions like Vidya Balan SJ Suryah and Suraj Venjaramoodu Bonus mdash cameos by Mohanlal and Shiva RajkumarlsquoDhurandhar 2rsquoWith Dhurandhar having set the box office on fire in December 2025 all eyes are now on the second part Director Aditya Dhar raises the stakes in the March 19 offering as Ranveer Singhrsquos undercover operative is still deep inside the dangerous world of Lyari and running out of clean exits The only downside mdash wersquoll miss Akshaye Khanna who stole the show in the first instalmentlsquoToxic A Fairy Tale for GrownupsrsquoYashrsquos first major film after KGF Chapter 2 2022 is set for a worldwide release on March 19 across six languages Directed by Geetu Mohandas and shot simultaneously in English and Kannada Toxic boasts a huge ensemble including Nayanthara Kiara Advani Tara Sutaria and Huma Qureshi Early reports describe it as a period action thriller set against the backdrop of crime and power struggleslsquoMardaani 3rsquoMardaani 3 brings back Rani Mukerji as Senior Inspector Shivani Shivaji Roy the rare woman cop leading a mainstream Hindi film Directed by Abhiraj Minawala the third instalment tackles crimes rooted in digital anonymity and organised trafficking Janki Bodiwala of Vash 2023 fame is a part of the February 27 offeringlsquoBorder 2rsquoUnlike most legacy sequels Border 2 is not the standard lsquo20 years laterrsquo fare Sunny Deol who led JP Duttarsquos 1997 original joins forces with Varun Dhawan Diljit Dosanjh and Ahan Shetty to offer a retelling of military episodes of the 1971 IndiaPakistan war What makes us all the more hopeful is that at the helm is Anurag Singh someone who understands patriotic cinema as evidenced in Punjab 1984 2014 fronted by Dosanjh and is not interested in the usual chestthumping montagelsquoPeddirsquoA sportsaction drama rooted in rural India Peddi focuses on caste dynamics and personal redemption rather than just the road to victory Sports films succeed when they mirror social struggle and the Ram Charan and Janhvi Kapoorstarrer seems to do exactly thatlsquoBhooth BanglarsquoBest known for comedies like Hera Pheri 2000 and Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2007 Akshay Kumar and filmmaker Priyadarshan reunite for Bhooth Bangla This time Priyadarshan who cowrote the screenplay promises a ldquodouble dose of fear and humourrdquo The horror comedy set for an April 2 release also stars Tabu Wamiqa Gabbi Paresh Rawal Rajpal Yadav and late AsranilsquoOrsquo RomeorsquoThe February 13 release marks Shahid Kapoor and filmmaker Bhardwajrsquos fourth collaboration after Kaminey 2009 Haider 2014 and Rangoon 2017 and that alone raises expectations The action thriller boasts a powerful ensemble including Triptii Dimri Randeep Hooda Avinash Tiwary and Tamannaah Bhatia with Disha Patani in a special appearance The buzz is that with O Romeo Bhardwaj has reinterpreted his story about Sapna Didi that he had originally envisioned with Deepika Padukone and late Irrfan KhanlsquoAlpharsquoBring back the spies The YRF spy universe offers its first femaleled espionage thriller Alpha which sees Alia Bhatt and Sharvari as elite operatives tangled in a highstakes hunt against Bobby Deolrsquos antagonist Anil Kapoor also plays a key role The filmrsquos release was originally slated for Christmas 2025 but later pushed to April 2026 With Bhatt joining the spy universe Alpha looks like a bold new chapter for femaleforward action movieslsquoNaagzillarsquoIn 2026 Bollywood goes back to one of its forgotten stories mdash of a shapeshifting serpent The fantasy creature comedy stars Kartik Aaryan as Preyamvadeshwar Pyare Chand an ichchadhari naag Directed by Mrighdeep Singh Lamba of the Fukrey franchise and produced by Dharma Productions with Mahaveer Jain Films the August 14 release marks the first instalment of the Naagzilla trilogylsquoThe ParadisersquoThe Paradise is shaping up to be one of 2026rsquos boldest action thrillers reuniting Nani with director Srikanth Odela after their 2023 hit Dasara Itrsquos set for a global theatrical release on March 26 in multiple languages including Telugu Tamil Hindi and English The film follows Nani as a rebel leader fighting for a marginalised community Reports suggest that the makers built a huge set of slums over 30 acres to tell the story with the honesty it deserves