Bollywood eyes big year, but a 'war-and-superstar' formula may fall short

After a prolonged Covid-triggered box office (BO) famine, Dhurandhar, an espionage thriller set in the backdrop of India-Pakistan tensions and packed with gore, violence and gangland politics, became the defining hit of the year, cementing its place in a crop of aggressive, hyper-masculine films that drove popular discourse in 2025. The trend was a stark contrast to 2024, when a number of films made by women — Payal Kapadia’s All We Imagine As Light, Shuchi Talati’s Girls Will Be Girls and Kiran Rao’s Laapataa Ladies  — got global attention and praise.

 

At the time of writing this piece, Dhurandhar had collected an unprecedented ₹844.45 crore in the Indian market. No wonder the mood in Bollywood is so upbeat for 2026. Market analysts estimate that BO collections reached ₹11,242 crore in 2025. In 2026, BO numbers are expected to surge by 25-30 per cent to between ₹14,052 crore and ₹14,614 crore. What is fuelling this optimism? Bollywood 2026 is over-flowing with star-studded blockbusters, over 5,000 theatre pan-India releases, sequels and ambitious hi-octane projects — ranging from gritty patriotic dramas and hyper-violent action thrillers to new mould mythological epics and stylised crime sagas — it is going to be a year full of mega spectacles.

 

Agastya Nanda’s theatrical debut Ikkis got off to a slow start in the new year with a BO of about ₹25 crore in the first week, but there is lots to come in the weeks and months ahead.  The Republic Day weekend will see the release of Border 2 with Sunny Deol, Varun Dhawan, Diljit Dosanjh, Ahan Shetty and Sonam Bajwa in a patriotic war saga. Dhurandhar 2 will hit the screen on March 19, looking to replicate the massive success of the original. The same day will also see the release of Geetu Mohandas’ Toxic: A Fairy Tale for Grown-Ups, a gangster-action thriller starring Yash, Nayanthara and Kiara Advani, shot in Kannada and English and dubbed in Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, and Malayalam. Shah Rukh Khan’s King is expected to release in early April.  The action-thriller features a star-studded ensemble cast, including Suhana Khan, Deepika Padukone, Abhishek Bachchan, Rani Mukerji, Anil Kapoor, Jackie Shroff and Arshad Warsi. April 17 is slated for Yash Raj Films’ Alpha, a female-led spy thriller starring Alia Bhatt, Sharvari, and Bobby Deol, which will be the first big-budget female-centric action film in a pan-India universe, promising high-stakes espionage and cinematic flair. The same day will see the opening of Battle of Galwan starring Salman Khan and Chitrangda Singh. So, more patriotism to be cheered and celebrated.

 

The later part of the year is going to be Ranbir Kapoor-dominated, with Love & War, a period romantic drama written, directed and produced by Sanjay Leela Bhansali, starring Kapoor, his wife Alia Bhatt, and Vicky Kaushal in lead roles. This will be followed by the eagerly anticipated and long-awaited Ramayana: Part 1, a grand cinematic adaptation of the ancient Indian epic. With Ranbir Kapoor as Lord Ram, Sai Pallavi as Sita and Yash as the formidable Ravana, along with Sunny Deol as Hanuman and Ravi Dubey as Lakshman, the film boasts a large ensemble cast that also includes Kajal Aggarwal as Mandodari and Rakul Preet Singh as Surpanakha. A R Rahman and Hans Zimmer are said to be collaborating on the music, and the movie will be dubbed in English, Japanese, Mandarin and more for a truly global release.

 

However, a “war-and-superstar” formula may still not guarantee a bumper 2026. Sky Force with Akshay Kumar and debutant Veer Pahariya, alongside Sara Ali Khan and Nimrat Kaur did meagre business at just ₹113 crore in 2025 despite much rattle-battle and dollops of patriotism. War 2 with Hrithik Roshan and NTR Jr too was only a lukewarm success. Sikandar with superstar Salman Khan flopped. At the same time, Vicky Kaushal’s patriotic Chhaava was a blockbuster with worldwide BO collections of ₹808 crore, but the patriotic action-drama, Farhan Akhtar’s 120 Bahadur, was a flop. Politics didn’t click in 2025. Both Emergency and The Bengal Files were utter flops.

 

Saiyaara was the blockbuster sleeper hit of 2025. A rare combination of lovely music and mushy love, rarely picturised these days. 2026 will have Love & War, Cocktail 2, Tu Yaa Main, Pati Patni Aur Woh Do, O Romeo, Chand Mera Dil, Do Deewane Seher Mein, and Sanam Teri Kasam 2 competing for heart-tugs and endearing hugs. It remains to be seen if anyone of them though can come within kissing distance of the Ahaan Pandey-Aneet Padda blockbuster. Today, the audience is smart and values authentic, quality storytelling over formulaic productions or mere face value. Let’s see how 2026 fares.

 

The author is chairman of Rediffusion