10 Most Anticipated Indian Movies of 2026 You Should Not Miss
2025 was an absolute banger for Indian cinema. From big-budget ensemble spectacles and long-awaited franchise returns to unexpected dark horses that stole the spotlight, the year delivered on every front. It was also a roller-coaster ride in the truest sense—while some highly anticipated projects failed to live up to the hype, a few under-the-radar titles completely won us over.
Needless to say, narrowing things down wasn’t easy.
Now, as we step into a brand-new year, it’s time to look ahead. Here’s my personal list of the Most Anticipated Indian Movies of 2026, featuring the films that already have us counting days. Let’s dive in.
Border 2
Release Date – 23rd January 2026
Director – Anurag Singh
Starring – Sunny Deol, Varun Dhawan, Diljit Dosanjh, Ahan Shetty
Almost 30 years after the release of J.P. Dutta’s cult war film Border, the franchise returns with the second installment. This film features a fresh new star cast and a story, but Sunny Deol returns and is rumored to reprise his role. The film’s trailer has failed to generate the required buzz, but the reprise versions of the original songs are trending across all platforms. The film has a lot of promises and is hyped by the makers, and I am excited to see how it turns out.
O Romeo
Release Date – 13th February 2026
Director – Vishal Bhardwaj
Starring – Shahid Kapoor, Tripti Dimri, Avinash Tiwari, Nana Patekar
After a long gap, Vishal Bhardwaj returns with his new film starring Shahid Kapoor. This amazing collaboration has previously given us films like Kaminey and Haider, and I am personally hyped for this. The teaser promises a tale about the bygone era of Mumbai underworld, where Shahid Kapoor plays the role of Husain Ustra. What’s shocking is the amazing action sequences and gore, which weren’t expected from Bhardwaj. The film releases during Valentine’s week and can give tough competition to the other names. One of the Most Anticipated Indian Movies of 2026.
Dhurandhar 2
Release Date – 19th March 2026
Director – Aditya Dhar
Starring – Ranveer Singh, Arjun Rampal, Sanjay Dutt
Aditya Dhar’s Dhurandhar was one of the most unexpected blockbusters of 2025. The film was released without any significant promotions, yet it managed to become the highest-grossing Hindi film. Its raw and rooted nature earned huge praise from the audience. Almost 2 months after its release, the film is still running in almost full houses. The entire nation is looking forward to the release of the second part of the saga, and the makers are planning for a much bigger release in multiple languages.
Toxic: A Fairy Tale for Grown-Ups
Release Date – 19th March 2026
Director – Geetu Mohandas
Starring – Yash, Nayanthara, Kiara Advani, Rukmini Vasanth
Rocking star Yash returns with his next big release, Toxic, after almost 3 years since KGF Chapter 2. Fans and cinephiles are waiting eagerly to find out how this film turns out. While the teaser has raised eyebrows for its boldness, makers are highly confident even for a direct clash with the Dhurandhar 2. I am excited to see what Geetu Mohandas does in a commercial setup and why Yash waited so many years to come up with it.
Bhoot Bangla
Release Date – 15th May 2026
Director – Priyadarshan
Starring – Akshay Kumar, Wamiqa Gabbi, Rajpal Yadav
Akshay Kumar has been having a very average career graph lately. After 16 years, he is reuniting with the legendary Priyadarshan in the genre in which he does the best job – Horror Comedy. This film promises to be a breather among the already done and dusted genre, which has failed to produce good films recently. The star cast and director give hope to all the fans of Akshay and look to revive both the genre and the career of the leading man.
Battle of Galwan
Release Date – 17th April 2026
Director – Apoorva Lakhia
Starring – Salman Khan, Chitrangada Singh
Based on the real events of the June 2020 Galwan Valley clash, this film has everything on paper to revive Salman’s recent downfall. The teaser shows us the man in a never-before-seen look, and the look and feel already make us hyped. What I am excited to see is how the director handles the battle, which was fought without using any bullets. Surely deserved to be in the list of the Most Anticipated Indian Movies of 2026.
Love and War
Release Date – TBA
Director – Sanjay Leela Bhansali
Starring – Ranbir Kapoor, Alia Bhat, Vicky Kaushal
Sanjay Leela Bhansali has been MIA since his last release, Gangubai Kathiawadi. He is coming back with a massive star cast and an epic war tale, which promises to be visually stunning and high on performances. Though we don’t know much about the story till now, the leaked character looks are promising this to be a sleeper hit. I am personally hyped for this because of this exciting starcast and director.
Drishyam 3 (Hindi)
Release Date – 2nd October 2026
Director – Abhishek Pathak
Starring – Ajay Devgan, Tabu
Drishyam 3 has been doing the rounds recently due to several controversies surrounding it. Firstly, it was announced that both Malayalam and Hindi will be released together and will have the same script. Then, due to the differences between the makers, the two films are now going to have different storylines. Recently, the makers had a fallout and a bitter battle with Akshaye Khanna, who got replaced by Jaideep Ahlawat. While the franchise has earned praise and box office numbers, I am skeptical about how the film will turn out. Hope it delivers.
Ramayana Part - 1
Release Date – Diwali 2026
Director – Nitesh Tiwari
Starring – Ranbir Kapoor, Sai Pallavi, Yash
Arguably, the most awaited movie of the year is Ramayan Part 1. It brings together an unbelievable star cast and promises to give us a great musical journey. The teaser itself literally gave me goosebumps thanks to the dreamy collaboration of AR Rahman and Hans Zimmer. What I believe is that all of us hope this film will do justice to what it promises and not just be another Adipurush! If done right, this film can make a significant impact all over the world. Please make it happen, Nitesh.
King
Release Date – TBA
Director – Siddharth Anand
Starring – Shah Rukh Khan, Suhana Khan, Abhishek Bachchan, Anil Kapoor
King Khan finally makes a return after his massive hit Jawan and launches his daughter Suhana Khan. The teaser launched on his birthday promises to be another high-octane action thriller riding on the sheer aura and style of the man himself. Rumored to be a remake of Leon: The Professional, everyone is looking forward to this and has a lot of buzz. I personally am looking forward to the BGM that Anirudh Ravichander brings into this.
So, this wraps up my list of Most Anticipated Indian Movies of 2026. I know I have missed out on several names due to the article limit restrictions. But now I would like to know your thoughts about the list and if you would like to add anything to this. Let me know in the comments below.
Avik
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