Animal. Pushpa 2. Dhurandhar. What’s Next?

Once upon a time, there were particular slots for every language film industry, with the perception that films performed only in certain windows. Among what was considered the off-season were November and December, especially for Telugu films. Now, with the rise of Pan-India films and a scarcity of good content, audiences don’t care about seasons, and what were once bad periods are turning into successful periods.

December’s first week is something that needs attention. With Christmas on December 25 and Sankranthi in January, big Hindi and Telugu films usually waited for those festival windows and skipped December. But recent history shows that the first week of December has become a blockbuster choice for Pan-India releases.

In 2023, Ranbir Kapoor and Sandeep Reddy Vanga’s Animal released in December and sparked huge debate over its content. At the box office, it collected close to 1000 crores, with the Telugu version also performing well.

In 2024, Allu Arjun and Sukumar’s Pushpa 2: The Rule released and went on to create phenomenal box-office records, grossing over 1500 crores according to the makers, becoming a national phenomenon.

In 2025, Ranveer Singh and Aditya Dhar’s Dhurandhar released and became the highest-grossing film of Ranveer Singh’s career. Trade estimates suggest it will cross 500 crores. With the film gaining momentum in its second weekend, it is expected to outdo its first weekend.

The next question is: which film is coming in 2026? Given the track record of Animal, Pushpa 2, and Dhurandhar – all career-best films for their stars – everyone is watching to see which big film will take that window next.

In Telugu, the contenders aiming for that slot include Prabhas and Hanu Raghavapudi’s Fauzi, Allu Arjun and Atlee’s film, and NTR and Prashanth Neel’s film. It remains to be seen who will claim that window among Indian stars.