Ajay Devgn, Yash, Ranbir & Vicky gear up for March 2026 box office clash

Bollywood mega showdown: The festive weekend of March 2026 is turning into a blockbuster battlefield as Ajay, Yash, Ranbir, and Vicky lock horns at the box office

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The year 2026 hasn’t even begun, yet Bollywood is already buzzing with box office battles. As filmmakers rush to lock in prime festive slots, March is shaping up to be the most explosive month of the year. With Gudi Padwa and Eid landing on the same weekend, four major films across three languages are set to collide — creating a massive ₹700-crore showdown that’s already the talk of the industry.

 

Gudi Padwa, a significant festival for Marathi Hindus and Konkanis, will be celebrated on March 19 next year. Coincidentally, Eid-ul-Fitr is expected to fall on the same weekend — either March 19 or 20, depending on the moon’s sighting. With an extended festive break on the horizon, the weekend has become a hot spot for big-ticket releases, prompting four major films to stake their claim on the same dates.

 

However, new rumours indicate that Sanjay Leela Bhansali's Love and War may be delayed, just hours after Yash's Toxic was confirmed for its March 2026 release date. According to reports, the period drama, which stars Vicky Kaushal, Alia Bhatt, and Ranbir Kapoor, is now targeting a June release date.

About 2 films clash in March 2026

1. Dhamaal 4 and Love & War clash

 

Bollywood's love triangle Love and War, directed by Sanjay Leela Bhansali, will go against Ajay Devgn's Dhamaal 4. While Love and War boasts the star power of Vicky Kaushal, Alia Bhatt, and Ranbir Kapoor, Dhamaal 4 benefits from being a franchise movie and Ajay's popularity in tier 2 and tier 3 cities. The premiere date of both films is set for March 20. The overall budget for the two films is reportedly 325 crore.

 

2. Yash's Toxic vs Adivi Sesh's Dacoit

 

Then there is the bilingual action film, Dacoit, starring Mrunal Thakur and Anurag Kashyap, in which Adivi Sesh excels. In addition to the Bollywood releases, the Telugu-Hindi movie will face competition for viewers' attention from Geethu Mohandas' Toxic: A Fairy Tale for Grown-Ups. 

 

March 19 is the release date for both films. With a projected budget of 300 crore, Toxic stars Yash in his first significant role since the KGF films. The four films have set up a tantalising battle at the box office, despite their differences in genres and languages and their shared scale.

Bhansali's Love and War 'avoids' clash with Yash's Toxic

Later, as per the reports, Love and War is probably not going to be released on time. A Bollywood Hungama source said, "It's a blessing in disguise, as it made no sense for two Pan-Indian films to clash on the same date”. 

 

It added, “Love and War is running much behind its shooting schedule, and will now release in the second half of 2026. Around 75 days of shoot still remain, and Sanjay Leela Bhansali has requested Ranbir Kapoor, Alia Bhatt, and Vicky Kaushal to allot bulk dates till summer 2026 to wrap up the film."

 

According to the insider, the movie is currently 40 days behind schedule and may not be released until June 2026. They went on to say that SLB and Ranbir are anticipated to decide on a new release date shortly and to formally announce the postponement. The makers of Love and War are yet to confirm the news.

Yash’s Toxic to release on time

The Trade analyst Taran Adarsh tweeted earlier today, "STOP THE RUMOURS... YASH’S NEXT FILM ‘TOXIC’ IS *NOT* DELAYED OR POSTPONED – 19 MARCH 2026 RELEASE CONFIRMED… Spoke to the producers – #Toxic is firmly on track for its [Thursday] 19 March 2026 release, perfectly timed for the festive weekend of #Ugadi, #GudiPadwa, and #Eid. Post-production began while #Yash was filming for #Ramayana in #Mumbai. The team is now completing the final portions of the shoot and will commence full-fledged promotions in Jan 2026."

 

On the other hand, Adivi Sesh's Dacoit declared the release date just this week in a grand event in Mumbai.