Indian cinema December 2026 box office competition

A major box office competition is expected on December 24, 2026, involving several high-profile Indian film releases. Shah Rukh Khan is set to release the action thriller ‘King’, which features a cast including Deepika Padukone, Rani Mukerji, Anil Kapoor, Arshad Warsi, and Abhishek Bachchan, and serves as the big-screen debut for Suhana Khan.

Khan confirmed the release date during an ‘Ask Me Anything’ session on X, noting that while filming faced interruptions due to injuries sustained by the actor, the majority of the work is complete. He defended director Siddharth Anand, stating the production is taking extra time to ensure high quality. During the session, Khan addressed rumors of potential delays and discussed the film’s ongoing post-production and visual effects work, noting that music by Arijit Singh is receiving final touches.

Khan also addressed anticipated competition from major Hollywood releases, including ‘Avengers: Doomsday’ and ‘Dune: Part Three’, describing his film as the ‘tasty Tikki’ in the center of the holiday release window.

Competing for the same release date is Nagarjuna Akkineni’s ‘King 100’, a film marking his 100th cinematic appearance, which features themes of identity, power, and wealth. Additionally, Mohanlal’s ‘Athimanoharam’ is also scheduled for release on the same day.