Love & War vs Dhamaal 4, Toxic vs Dacoit: Rs 700 crore riding on two festive box-office clashes in 2026

Rs 700 Crore clash

As the Indian film calendar heats up for 2026, a blockbuster showdown is already shaping up. Four major films across three languages are set to hit theatres during the dual festive weekend of Gudi Padwa (March 19) and Eid‑ul‑Fitr (March 19–20).

With an estimated combined box office potential of Rs 700 crore, this release weekend could be the biggest cinematic coming-out party of the year.

Festival collision creates the perfect storm

Gudi Padwa and Eid aligning on the same weekend gives filmmakers a rare, extended holiday window. That’s already prompted four pan-India films to lock in release dates simultaneously. Two major Hindi films — Love & War and Dhamaal 4 — will clash on March 20, while regional giants Toxic (starring Yash) and Dacoit (starring Adivi Sesh) premiere on March 19. The stage is set for a weekend long battle across genres, languages and fan bases.

Romance vs Comedy face-off

From Bollywood, Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s epic romance Love & War (Ranbir Kapoor, Alia Bhatt, Vicky Kaushal) goes head-to-head with Ajay Devgn’s franchise-driven comedy Dhamaal 4. Together, the two Hindi films carry a reported combined budget of around Rs 325­crore.

Love & War’s scale and star power promise intense emotional stakes, while Dhamaal 4 leans on laughs and Ajay Devgn’s strength in Tier 2 and Tier 3 markets to balance the weekend’s competitive board.

Action vs Drama collision

On the regional front, Yash’s Toxic (Rs 300 crore budget) makes his big return after the KGF phenomenon, while Adivi Sesh’s bilingual action-thriller Dacoit adds Telugu-Hindi crossover firepower alongside Mrunal Thakur and Anurag Kashyap.

Both release on March 19, overlapping with the Hindi films and amplifying the clash into a true pan-India battlefield.

Also Read: Sanjay Leela Bhansali wraps Mumbai schedule of Love & War, heads to Italy for the grand finale; Eid 2026 release on the cards

Industry insiders are already asking: will someone step back? While Dacoit confirmed March 19 with a grand launch and Toxic stands firm, Love & War reportedly has push-flags due to production delays and may shift closer to August. That said, none of the studios have publicly altered their dates yet, keeping the clash status intact.

If all four films release as currently scheduled, this could become the largest cluster release weekend in Indian cinema history, and a ticking clock for studios to either hold firm or rethink.