Eid has long been one of Bollywood’s most lucrative release windows, and 2026 is shaping up to deliver one of the biggest box office clashes in recent memory. Three heavyweight films — Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s Love And War starring Alia Bhatt, Ranbir Kapoor, and Vicky Kaushal, Indra Kumar’s Dhamaal 4 Ajay Devgn, Arshad Warsi, Javed Jaffrey, and Riteish Deshmukh, and the much-hyped pan-India actioner Toxic starring Yash, Kiara Advani and Nayanthara — are all set to hit theatres during the festive weekend, making it a battle of genres, stars, and cinematic styles.
Love And War: Bhansali’s Magnum Opus
Sanjay Leela Bhansali returns to the silver screen with Love And War, a romantic-drama headlined by a dream cast — Alia Bhatt, Ranbir Kapoor, and Vicky Kaushal. Known for his lavish storytelling and operatic scale, Bhansali is expected to deliver an emotionally intense spectacle that blends passion with visual grandeur. With Ranbir and Alia coming together on screen under Bhansali’s lens, anticipation is at an all-time high.
Toxic: Pan India Film
Meanwhile, Toxic arrives as the pan-India giant, strategically positioned with a wide global release across multiple languages. With the trend of big-scale South Indian films making inroads into Hindi markets, Toxic is being marketed as a spectacle designed to capture not just the Indian audience but also international viewers. Its action-heavy narrative and wide reach make it a formidable competitor in this Eid showdown.
Dhamaal 4: Comedy Franchise
On the other end of the spectrum, Indra Kumar brings back one of Bollywood’s most beloved comedy franchises with Dhamaal 4. Featuring Ajay Devgn alongside Arshad Warsi, Javed Jaffrey, Riteish Deshmukh, and a laugh-out-loud ensemble, the film is banking on nostalgia and feel-good humour to pull in audiences. Over the years, the Dhamaal series has earned a loyal fan following, and its fourth instalment is expected to be a mass entertainer with broad family appeal.
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This clash also brings back memories of Diwali 2016, when Ranbir Kapoor’s Ae Dil Hai Mushkil and Ajay Devgn’s Shivaay released on the same day. Back then, both films fought fiercely for box office supremacy, with Ranbir’s film ultimately emerging ahead in urban centres while Shivaayheld ground in mass belts. Nearly a decade later, the two stars find themselves in a festive box office battle once again — only this time, they’re backed by franchises, filmmakers, and cross-industry competition that raise the stakes much higher.
Eid releases have historically delivered record-breaking numbers for Bollywood, from Salman Khan’s Bajrangi Bhaijaan to Shah Rukh Khan’s Raees. But a triple clash of this magnitude is rare. The big question is: Can Bhansali’s grandeur and star power of Love & War hold its own against the crowd-pleasing comedy of Dhamaal 4 and the scale of Toxic?
With contrasting genres — romance, comedy, and action — the festive weekend promises something for every segment of the audience. What remains to be seen is whether the three films can co-exist at the box office or if one title will emerge as the undisputed Eid blockbuster of 2026.
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