Ramayana, Dhurandhar 2, King, Jailer 2: The year 2026 will be make or break for action cinema

2. King

Shah Rukh Khan returns to the big screen after a three-year gap with Siddharth Anand’s actioner King, in which he essays the role of an assassin. The film features a sprawling ensemble cast including Deepika Padukone, Suhana Khan, Abhishek Bachchan, Jaideep Ahlawat, Arshad Warsi, Raghav Juyal, Abhay Verma, Rani Mukerji, Anil Kapoor, and Jackie Shroff. While the release date remains unannounced, the first glimpse of the film was unveiled on SRK’s 60th birthday and immediately generated significant excitement.

Shah Rukh Khan is reportedly playing an assassin in King.

3. Dhurandhar 2

Aditya Dhar’s gangster actioner Dhurandhar, already the highest-grossing film of 2025, is set to continue its story with a sequel scheduled for an Eid release. Riding on the immense love and momentum of the first part, Dhurandhar 2 appears poised to hand Ranveer Singh yet another blockbuster. The sequel is expected to conclude the journey of Ranveer’s character, an Indian spy deployed in Pakistan to infiltrate the underworld and terror networks. Going by the post-credit scene of the first film, the conflict is set to intensify between him and Arjun Rampal, who plays an ISI general.

4. Toxic

Dhurandhar 2 will not arrive alone on Eid. Rocking Star Yash returns to the big screen after the thunderous success of KGF: Chapter 2 with Toxic, directed by Geetu Mohandas. The film features a strong ensemble cast led by Nayanthara, Kiara Advani, Tara Sutaria, Huma Qureshi, Rukmini Vasanth, Akshay Oberoi, and Sudev Nair. While plot details remain under wraps, Yash’s massive stardom ensures that Eid 2026 will witness a high-stakes box-office clash between him and Ranveer Singh.

5. Jailer 2

Although Rajinikanth received a lukewarm response earlier this year with Lokesh Kanagaraj’s Coolie, the superstar is set to bounce back with the sequel to his 2023 blockbuster Jailer. Recently, Mithun Chakraborty, who essays the antagonist, confirmed in a Bengali interview that “Mohanlal, Shah Rukh Khan, Ramya Krishnan, Shiva Rajkumar” will all be making cameo appearances in the film, adding further fuel to fan excitement.

6. Battle of Galwan

Salman Khan, who has had a middling run at the box office post-pandemic, is aiming for a comeback with Battle of Galwan. The teaser was recently launched on the superstar’s 60th birthday. The film is based on the clash between Indian and Chinese troops in the Galwan region in June 2020, where, according to reports, 200 Indian soldiers bravely defended their territory against 1,200 Chinese Liberation Army soldiers.

Also Read | Dhurandhar pushes a bigoted vision, gaslighting the audience into accepting it as entertainment

7. Jana Nayagan

2026 is set to begin on a significant note with Vijay’s reportedly final film Jana Nayagan, before he steps into politics full-time. Directed by H. Vinoth with music by Anirudh Ravichander, the film also stars Bobby Deol, Pooja Hegde, Mamitha Baiju, Prakash Raj, Gautham Vasudev Menon, Priyamani, and Narain.

8. The Raja Saab

Vijay will not have a solo Pongal release, as Prabhas arrives with his horror-comedy The Raja Saab. The film also stars Sanjay Dutt, Boman Irani, Malavika Mohanan, Nidhhi Agerwal, Riddhi Kumar, and Zarina Wahab. Its recently released trailer was instantly embraced by fans, promising a mix of action, humour, and horror.

The Prabhas-starrer will hit the screens on the occasion of Sankranti.

9. Alpha

Yash Raj Films’ Spy Universe will look for redemption after the disastrous performance of War 2 with Alpha. Notably, it marks the universe’s first female-led spy film, starring Alia Bhatt and Sharvari in the lead roles. The post-credit scene of War 2, which offered a glimpse into the world of Alpha and featured Bobby Deol, suggests a more grounded, character-driven action approach this time.

10. Drishyam 3

Touted as the final chapter of the franchise, Drishyam 3 will see both Mohanlal (Malayalam) and Ajay Devgn (Hindi) return once again, attempting to conceal their crime as the world around them grows increasingly hostile. With a massive fan base across languages, the film is expected to perform strongly. The only haunting question remains: will they be saved one last time, or finally pay for their crime?

These are only the major tentpole releases of the year. The calendar also includes intriguing titles such as Sriram Raghavan’s war drama Ikkis, Sunny Deol’s Border 2, Vishal Bhardwaj’s actioner O Romeo, featuring Shahid Kapoor; Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s Love and War, (expected to release in 2026) starring Ranbir Kapoor, Alia Bhatt, and Vicky Kaushal; Priyadarshan’s Haiwaan with Saif Ali Khan and Akshay Kumar; Akshay Kumar’s Bhooth Bangla; Prabhas’ Fauzi; Aneet Padda’s Shakti Shalini; Ram Charan and Janhvi Kapoor’s Peddi; and Dacoit, starring Mrunal Thakur and Adivi Sesh.

Also Read | The MATH of making a blockbuster trailer: What made 4-minute Dhurandhar trailer stand out, ‘Ranveer Singh appeared for only 1 minute’

Make or Break Year

A glance through these titles only reinforces one thing: 2026 is shaping up to be yet another year of action bonanza on the big screen. Even the hugely popular Mirzapur series is making its big screen debut, with original cast members like Divyendu Sharma, Abhishek Banerjee, Shriya Pilgaonkar, and Kulbhushan Kharbanda returning. If these major titles perform, the sky truly is the limit. Not only could Pushpa 2’s record as the highest-grossing Indian film (net collection) come under threat, but films like Ramayana, King, or Dhurandhar 2 could even challenge Dangal’s worldwide record of Rs 2,070.3 crore, a milestone that has stood for a decade.

But what if these films fail? Not all of them, perhaps, but even a few major disappointments could signal the end of the action feast audiences have enjoyed for over two years. The risk of genre fatigue is real. If 2025 has proven anything, it is that action films must now be inventive and present worlds that audiences have not seen before. Dhurandhar is a case in point. Few would have imagined a spy film pitched as a gangster saga set in Karachi, a setting rarely explored in Indian cinema. Aditya Dhar completely subverted the genre. Going forward, such subversion may be the key. Without it, even the biggest films risk collapsing under the weight of their own promises.