With the New Year come New Hopes.
Joginder Tuteja takes a look at the theatre line-up this January.
Jan Neta
Release date: January 9
Widely promoted as Vijay's last film as he prepares to enter politics full-time, Jan Neta is the Hindi version of his Tamil film Jana Nayagan and is a pan-India release.
The Raja Saab
Release date: January 9
Prabhas' last film, Kalki 2898 AD, was a huge success.
Now, he stars in The Raja Saab, which is a VFX and CGI heavy fantasy project, and the first pan-India release of 2026.
Directed by Maruthi, the film has been heavily promoted and the trailers promise a big screen spectacle.
Sanjay Dutt plays the antagonist.
Rahu Ketu
Release date: January 16
The first comedy of 2026, Fukrey actors Pulkit Samrat and Varun Sharma will now be seen as Rahu and Ketu.
The film is directed by first-timer Vipul Vig, known for writing the Fukrey series.
A story about confusion and bad omens, Rahu Ketu stars Shalini Pandey as the leading lady.
Happy Patel
Release date: January 16
Produced by Aamir Khan Productions, stand-up comedian Vir Das stars in and directs the oddball comedy, Happy Patel.
He plays a detective in Goa, who is surrounded by several 'weird' characters in weird situations.
Vir's Delhi Belly co-star Imran Khan as well as Aamir Khan will play cameos.
Border 2
Release date: January 22
The biggest release of January 2026 is the much-awaited Border 2, which sees Sunny Deol return as an army man.
Giving him company are Varun Dhawan, Diljit Dosanjh and Ahan Shetty.
Anurag Singh returns to direction six years after delivering the superhit Kesari and one waits to see how he has mounted this war film.
Haunted 3D: Ghosts Of The Past
Release date: January 30
Mahaakshay Chakraborty's only big screen success is Haunted 3D, a Vikram Bhatt directorial, which was one of the biggest horror thrillers of its time.
While the first released in 2011, the second in the franchise arrives many years later with the same director-actor combo.
Photographs curated by Satish Bodas/Rediff
© 2026