Apr 12, 2026 11:44am IST
2026 Telugu Film Calendar: From ‘Peddi’ to ‘The Paradise’-Big Releases, Big Clashes-Bigger Expectations
2026 started on a mixed note for Telugu cinema, as only a few films hit the bull’s eye in the first three months. Chiranjeevi’s "Mana Shankara Vara Prasad Garu" and Naveen Polishetty’s "Anaganaga Oka Raju" were the only films that emerged as smash hits, while the big-budget ventures like "The Raja Saab" and "Ustaad Bhagat Singh" ended as disasters at the box office.
As summer sets in, Tollywood is gearing up for a series of big-ticket releases for the rest of the year and Variety India brings you a detailed list of what's going to come. First in line is Ram Charan’s biggie, "Peddi," scheduled for release on April 30, 2026. Directed by Buchi Babu Sana, "Peddi" has already locked a theatrical business of ₹250 crore and will release as a pan-India film.
Chiranjeevi will also return with his long-delayed project "Vishwambhara," slated for June 2026. Meanwhile, Adivi Sesh will have another release in the form of "Goodachari 2" on May 1, with Emraan Hashmi playing the villain. Samantha Ruth Prabhu makes her comeback to Telugu cinema with "Maa Inti Bangaram," releasing on May 15, 2026. Nikhil Siddhartha’s "Swayambhu," initially planned for April 10, has now been pushed to the second week of May.
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Jr NTR’s film with Prashanth Neel, which was initially scheduled for June 25, 2026, has been postponed to 2027 due to shooting delays. On June 26, Akhil Akkineni will arrive with "Lenin," co-starring Bhagyashri Borse. In July, Suriya’s Telugu debut, "Vishwanath And Sons," is expected to release in the second week.
The spotlight then shifts to Nani’s "The Paradise," one of the biggest films of the year, arriving on August 21, 2026. The film has reportedly secured theatrical deals worth Rs 150 crore, the highest in Nani’s career. Vijay Deverakonda’s "Ranabaali," co-starring Rashmika Mandanna, is set for release on September 11. The period drama's pre-release business has been locked at a whopping ₹150 crore and needs to perform strongly to recover its high investment.
The Dussehra season will bring a major clash, with Prabhas’s "Fauzi" targeting a release on October 17, 2026. Directed by Hanu Raghavapudi, the film is mounted on a grand scale with a budget close to Rs 350 crore. At the same time, Nandamuri Balakrishna’s film with a revised budget of ₹100 crore with Gopichand Malineni is also expected to release, making it an exciting box office battle. Lasty, Akkineni Nagarjuna's 100th film is also being targeted around the same time making the clash even more interesting.
The year will conclude with Vijay Deverakonda’s "Rowdy Janardhana," directed by Ravi Kiran Kola, slated for a Christmas release. Additionally, mid-range films like "Nagabandham" and "Korean Kanakaraju" will be added to the 2026 lineup. With such a packed slate, Telugu cinema is set for an eventful year, paving the way for an even bigger start to 2027 with films from stars like Chiranjeevi, Nagarjuna and Venkatesh.
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