Ramayana, Jailer 2 To Toxic, Dhurandhar 2 — Indian Movies To Look Forward To In 2026

The year 2026 will feature a glamourous lineup of fascinating contributions to the hallowed halls of Indian cinema.

But it's hard to make time in a day to do a bit of research and decide which movies look promising, and which ones might not be as interesting.

NDTV Profit will save you that time as we cover the topmost interesting projects to look out for this year.

The epic by sage Valmiki which tells the story of the revered Lord Rama, an esteemed deity in the Hindu pantheon of Gods, will have a cinematic adaptation helmed by director Nitesh Tiwari.

It is expected to utilise cutting-edge special effects from the company, Prime Focus, which did the VFX for Hollywood blockbusters like Transformers to bring to life the cosmic tale about the triumph of good over evil in vivid detail.

It will also star A-listers such as Ranbir Kapoor, Sai Pallavi, Yash, Sunny Deol and Amitabh Bachchan in key roles. Music legends Hans Zimmer and AR Rahman are also expected to help create the score of the project.

The film will release in Deepavali.

Superstar and cinema icon Rajinikanth will return to theatres in Jailer 2, the eagerly anticipated sequel to 2023's Jailer.

Comic actor Yogi Babu is also expected to make an appearance, with reports of Bollywood A-listers such as Mithun Chakraborty and Vidya Balan potentially joining the cast.

Directed by Nelson who is well known for his eccentric plots and dark comedy, Jailer 2 may prove to be an entertaining and memorable affair.

Bollywood's quintessential charismatic superstar, Shah Rukh Khan, is expected to make return in 2026 in the ambitiously titled King, set to star alongside other actors that defined 2000's Bollywood such as Rani Mukherji and Abhishek Bachchan, along with Khan's daughter Suhana making her debut.

Helmed by director Siddharth Anand, best known for masala action films like War and Pathan, the film's plot is reportedly inspired by Luc Besson's Leon The Professional, which follows an assassin who takes a 12-year-old girl under his wing after her family is murdered by corrupt US federal agents.

The film is slated to release in October 2026.

Kannada superstar Yash will star in the period piece gangster film titled Toxic:  A Fairy Tale for Grown-Ups which, according to promotional photos, is likely to be a historical fiction film set in the 1920s, as evidenced by Yash sporting a fedora and wielding a tommy gun looking like he stepped out of South Indian version of Dick Tracy.

The cast is stacked with other A-listers such as Huma Qureshi and Kiara Advani. The film is slated to release in March 2026.

The second installment of the ambitious spy thriller that captivated audiences across India, Dhurandhar: Part 2 – Revenge, as it has been tentatively titled, will continue the story of Indian spy Hamza Ali Mazari who is expected to face off against 'Bade Sahab', the mastermind behind Pakistani terror attacks.

Starring Bollywood star Ranveer Singh as the protagonist, along with other industry heavyweights such as R Madhavan, Sanjay Dutt and Arjun Rampal, the sequel is expected to continue its predecessor's ambitious mix of political intrigue and crime drama, with possible new locales such as Amritsar, Mumbai and Kasol, as indicated by news regarding shooting locations.

The film is expected to release in March 2026 and is likely to clash with Toxic.

Jana Nayagan will be Tamil superstar Talapathy Vijay's final film as an actor, according to reports, after which he is set to retire from acting and pursue a career in politics like many others before him.

Not much is known about the film's plot, but the political undertone of the title (People's Hero) and the posters depicting Vijay's character being adored by swathes of people along with the tagline 'Torchbearer Of Democracy', may imply that it is a political drama.

Reports, however, have widely classified it in the action thriller genre.

The film will also feature Pooja Hedge as the co-lead as well as the Bobby Deol, making his third appearance in a South Indian production.

Jana Nayagan is set to release in January 2026.

Vishal Bharadwaj, the dramatic storytelling auteur that reinterpreted Shakespeare for Indian cinema with heavy hitters like Omkara and Haider, will helm a gangster drama set in Mumbai right after India gained independence.

The film's narrative is expected to explore the rise and the evolution of the sprawling metropolitan expanse of the restless beating heart of India's commerce that we now know as Mumbai through the lens of its underworld.

The film is expected to star prominent Bollywood acting powerhouses such as Shahid Kapoor, Tripti Dimri, Nana Patekar and Shakti Kapoor.

The film is anticipated to release in February 2026.

Dragon is an ambitious collaboration between director Prashanth Neel, who is known for mass action films like KGF and Salaar, and Telugu film star NTR Rama Rao Jr of RRR fame.

NTR is expected to sport a leaner look with a bushy beard and will do his own stunts, of which there will be many, according to reports, as they state that it will be spectacle heavy and full of larger-than-life set pieces.

The film is likely to release in June 2026.

Ikkis is a cinematic portrayal of the life of Second Lieutenant Arun Khetarpal, one of the youngest recipients of India’s highest military honour, the Param Vir Chakra. Set against the backdrop of the 1971 Indo-Pak war, the narrative follows Khetarpal's efforts and sacrifices before he laid down his life at the age of twenty-one in service of the nation.

The project is helmed by acclaimed filmmaker Sriram Raghavan, of Andhadhun fame, known for his grounded characters and gripping storytelling. With his steady behind the camera, the movie is likely to be absent of the tired tropes seen in recent Indian war films and is instead expected to capture the rich interior lives of soldiers.

Ikkis stars Agastya Nanda in the lead role, with veteran actors Dharmendra and Jaideep Ahlawat featuring in key supporting roles.

The movie is expected to come out in January 2026.

Telugu director Bucchi Babu Sana's sophomore production Peddi will be a sports drama set in rural 1980s Andhra Pradesh, starring Ram Charan as the titular character alongside Jahnvi Kapoor, as he plays a determined villager who aims to unite his community through cricket.

The score will be composed by AR Rahman, and the film is set to release in March 2026.

Border 2 is the sequel to the 1997 film Border, which dealt with the India-Pakistan war of 1971. The sequel revisits the setting but will focus on the Indian Army, Navy and the Air Force.

Actor Sunny Deol will return for the sequel in a new role, and he will be joined by an ensemble cast consisting of Varun Dhawan, Diljit Dosanjh and Ahan Shetty.

The film is slated to release in January 2025, close to Republic Day.