Bollywood Vs South 2026: Biggest Box Office Clashes And Most Anticipated Releases

In 2026, the box office will be packed with releases and clashes. Bollywood versus South Indian films will make the competition intense, with six major face-offs expected, promising excitement for movie fans all year.

Both films are set to release on January 9. Jana Nayagan is a pan-India Tamil action film starring Thalapathy Vijay and directed by H. Vinoth. Kis Kisko Pyaar Karoon 2, a Bollywood comedy starring Kapil Sharma and directed by Anukalp Goswami, originally released on December 12, 2025, but is being re-released after underperforming at the box office due to Dhurandhar.

March 9, 2026, could witness the biggest clash of the year. Dhurandhar 2, a Bollywood spy action drama starring Ranveer Singh and directed by Aditya Dhar, releases alongside Yash's Kannada period gangster drama Toxic: The Fairy Tale for Grown Ups, directed by Geetu Mohandas, and the Telugu romantic action film Dacoit: A Love Story, starring Adivi Sesh and Mrunal Thakur, directed by Shaneil Deo.

On May 1, two big films hit theaters. Raja Shivaji, a Marathi-Hindi historical drama directed by and starring Riteish Deshmukh, releases alongside the Telugu pan-India spy action film Goodachari (G2), starring Adivi Sesh and directed by Vinay Kumar Sirigineedi. Fans can expect history and high-octane action on the same day.

On June 11, 2026, Bollywood fans can enjoy Cocktail 2, a romantic comedy starring Shahid Kapoor, Rashmika Mandanna, and Kriti Sanon, directed by Homi Adajania. The very next day, June 12, Tamil superstar Rajinikanth's pan-India action drama Jailer 2, directed by Nelson Dilipkumar, hits theaters, promising high-octane entertainment.

On August 14, 2026, Bollywood sees a double release: the romantic action drama Love and War, directed by Sanjay Leela Bhansali and starring Ranbir Kapoor, Vicky Kaushal, and Alia Bhatt, and the supernatural comedy Nagzilla: Naglok Ka Pehla Kaand, led by Kartik Aaryan. The very next day, August 15, the Telugu action drama Fauji, starring Prabhas and directed by Hanu Raghavapudi, hits theaters.

On October 2, 2026, history could be made as two films with the same name release on the same day. Drishyam 3 stars Ajay Devgn in the Bollywood version, directed by Abhishek Pathak, while the original Malayalam Drishyam 3 features Mohanlal, directed by Jeethu Joseph.

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