From Karan Johar, Aditya Dhar to Sandeep Reddy Vanga and SS Rajamouli: What are India’s best filmmakers making next?

Now, as we enter the New Year, some of India’s best filmmakers are already charting their next moves. From passion projects to high-concept spectacles and intimate, story-driven films, here’s what filmmakers like Karan Johar, Aditya Dhar, SS Rajamouli and others are doing next to entertain audiences.

Karan Johar

Filmmaker Karan Johar currently has two productions in the pipeline. He is backing director Vivek Soni’s Chand Mera Dil, which stars Lakshya and Ananya Panday in lead roles. The romantic drama was initially slated for a 2025 release but was later pushed to 2026.

Another Dharma Productions film releasing in 2026 is the supernatural high-fantasy comedy Naagzilla. Directed by Mrighdeep Singh Lamba, the film stars Kartik Aaryan as a shape-shifting serpent and serves as the first instalment in a planned high-concept creature comedy trilogy. The film is scheduled to release in August this year.

Apart from this, Karan’s Dharma Productions has also acquired the theatrical distribution rights of the Malayalam film Chatha Pacha: The Ring of Rowdies for northern India, marking its first-ever association with a Malayalam film. Directed by Adhvaith Nayar, the film features Arjun Ashokan, Roshan Mathew, Vishak Nair and Ishan Shoukath in lead roles, with a cameo by Malayalam superstar Mammootty. The film is scheduled to release on January 22.

Nitesh Tiwari

Nitesh Tiwari is awaiting the release of his upcoming two-part film Ramayana. The mythological epic is one of the most anticipated films of the decade. It stars Ranbir Kapoor as Lord Rama, Sai Pallavi as Sita, Ravie Dubey as Lakshman, Sunny Deol as Lord Hanuman and Yash as Ravana.

The makers released the first glimpse of the film in 2025, creating massive buzz and earning praise for its VFX. Ramayana: Part One is set to release in cinemas on Diwali 2026, while the second part will release on Diwali 2027.

Atlee

Atlee is working on another magnum opus, AA22xA6. The film, which stars Deepika Padukone and Allu Arjun in lead roles, was announced in April 2025 on Allu Arjun’s birthday. Speaking about the sci-fi film at the WAVES Summit 2025, Allu Arjun said, “I really liked the idea he told me, and I like his aspirations. I felt we were like-minded on many levels. We hope to bring a very new visual spectacle to Indian cinema. It will be a very international presentation with total Indian sensibilities.”

The filmmaker has also assured that AA22xA6 will be “addictive to watch”. Atlee has collaborated with several Hollywood technicians for the film and revealed that even they are finding it challenging. Produced by Sun Pictures, the film is currently under production and is expected to release in 2027.

Sanjay Leela Bhansali

Bhansali is busy working on his upcoming film Love & War, which brings together Alia Bhatt, Vicky Kaushal and Ranbir Kapoor. This marks Alia and Ranbir’s second film together after Brahmastra, and also their second collaboration with Bhansali after Gangubai Kathiawadi and Saawariya, respectively.

The film is said to revolve around a complex love triangle between two officers, played by Ranbir and Vicky, and Alia, who plays the woman caught between them. While it was earlier planned for a 2025 release, the film has fallen behind schedule and is now expected to release in June this year. However, the team is yet to make an official announcement regarding the release date.

Sandeep Reddy Vanga

Sandeep Reddy Vanga is currently busy shooting Spirit, starring Prabhas and Triptii Dimri. Prabhas is believed to be playing a cop, while Triptii essays his love interest. The film also stars Vivek Oberoi, Prakash Raj and Kanchana in key roles.

Produced by Bhushan Kumar, Pranay Reddy Vanga, Krishan Kumar and Prabhakar Reddy Vanga, the film is expected to release in Telugu, Hindi, Tamil, Kannada, Malayalam, Mandarin, Japanese and Korean. The first-look poster featured a wounded Prabhas smoking a cigarette while Triptii lights it. The film is scheduled to release in 2026.

Apart from this, Vanga also has Animal Park in the pipeline, a sequel to his 2024 blockbuster Animal, which starred Ranbir Kapoor alongside Anil Kapoor, Bobby Deol and Rashmika Mandanna. Animal Park will see Ranbir reprise his role. The filmmaker will commence shooting after completing Spirit.

Aditya Dhar

Aditya Dhar is currently riding high on the success of his latest release, Dhurandhar, which has been breaking box-office records and showing no signs of slowing down even after 30 days. Within a month, the film surpassed Shah Rukh Khan’s Jawan and Pathaan to collect over ₹1,200 crore worldwide. It has also become the first Bollywood film to earn over ₹800 crore at the domestic box office and is now eyeing Pushpa 2: The Rule’s Hindi box-office collection.

Despite mixed critical reviews, the film, starring Ranveer Singh, Akshaye Khanna, R Madhavan, Arjun Rampal and Sanjay Dutt, has won over audiences. Aditya is now awaiting the release of the film’s sequel, in which Ranveer will reprise his role as the Indian spy, alongside R Madhavan, Sanjay Dutt and Arjun Rampal. Rakesh Bedi and Sara Arjun will also feature in the sequel, scheduled to release in theatres on March 19, 2026.

Siddharth Anand

After delivering a blockbuster with Shah Rukh Khan in Pathaan, which collected ₹1,050 crore worldwide, Siddharth Anand is back with another Shah Rukh Khan film titled King. The action film also stars Suhana Khan, Deepika Padukone, Jaideep Ahlawat, Abhishek Bachchan and Raghav Juyal in key roles.

The film will mark the first on-screen appearance of the father-daughter duo Shah Rukh Khan and Suhana Khan, and Suhana’s theatrical debut. It is currently under production and is expected to release in theatres in 2026.

Geethu Mohandas

Geethu Mohandas, who made the National Award-winning film Liar’s Dice, is set to entertain audiences with her upcoming film Toxic: A Fairy Tale for Grown-Ups. The film marks Kannada superstar Yash’s return to the big screen after the success of KGF 2.

Apart from Yash, the film stars Nayanthara, Kiara Advani, Tara Sutaria, Huma Qureshi, Rukmini Vasanth, Akshay Oberoi and Sudev Nair in key roles. The period gangster drama was shot simultaneously in Kannada and English and is scheduled to release in six languages on March 19, 2026, coinciding with Ugadi.

SS Rajamouli

After his blockbuster stint with RRR, SS Rajamouli is now working on another ambitious project titled Varanasi. The film stars Mahesh Babu in the lead role, along with Priyanka Chopra and Prithviraj Sukumaran. The action-adventure marks Priyanka’s return to Indian cinema after a long hiatus.

The film is reportedly being made on a budget of ₹1,000 crore, making it one of the most expensive Indian films ever, and will be the first Indian film shot in the 1.43:1 IMAX format. While the storyline has been kept under wraps, Rajamouli confirmed that Mahesh Babu will portray Lord Rama in one of the sequences, generating massive buzz. The film is currently under production and is scheduled to release on Sankranti 2027.

Priyadarshan

Priyadarshan has completed the horror-comedy Bhooth Bangla, starring Akshay Kumar, Paresh Rawal and Wamiqa Gabbi in lead roles. The film is scheduled to release in April 2026. He has also wrapped up another film with Akshay titled Haiwaan, which also stars Saif Ali Khan and Saiyami Kher and marks Akshay and Saif’s reunion after nearly 17 years. The makers are eyeing a 2026 release.

Another Priyadarshan film that fans are eagerly awaiting is Hera Pheri 3, which brings back the iconic trio of Akshay Kumar, Paresh Rawal and Suniel Shetty. In 2025, Paresh had briefly quit the film before resolving differences and rejoining the project. Fans are now awaiting an official update.