Durga Puja 2026 is set to offer moviegoers a wide range of theatrical releases, with Bengali cinema featuring prominently alongside Hindi and South Indian films. The festive line-up includes sequels, detective mysteries, historical dramas, horror comedies and action-packed stories, bringing together popular stars and established filmmakers.
From the return of familiar characters to stories inspired by historical events, here are eight major films to watch during the Durga Puja festive season.
Top Durga Puja 2026 Releases: Eight Films to Watch
1. Bohurupi: The Golden Daku
Release Date: October 15
Language: Bengali
Directed by Nandita Roy and Shiboprosad Mukherjee, Bohurupi: The Golden Daku is the sequel to the 2024 Bengali hit Bohurupi. Shiboprosad returns as Bikram Pramanik, while Jisshu Sengupta reprises his role as the police officer determined to track him down.
Koushani Mukherjee also returns as Jhimli, Bikram's wife. The story continues to explore the life of a man whose faith in the legal system is shaken after he is falsely accused and assaulted. The original film drew inspiration from a series of bank robberies reported in West Bengal between 1998 and 2005.
2. DeSu7
Release Date: During the Durga Puja festive season
Language: Bengali
DeSu7 is among the most anticipated Bengali releases of the season and marks actor Dev Adhikari's directorial debut. The film stars Dev alongside Subhashree Ganguly and Anirban Bhattacharya.
The story follows two lovers who reunite after spending years apart. Their relationship develops against a political backdrop, with romance, action and emotional conflict shaping the narrative.
The reunion of Dev and Subhashree on screen has made the film one of the prominent Bengali titles to watch during the festive period.
3. Emperor Vs Sarat Chandra
Release Date: October 15
Language: Bengali
Filmmaker Srijit Mukherji takes audiences back to the colonial era with Emperor Vs Sarat Chandra. The film presents a fictionalised account of novelist Sarat Chandra Chattopadhyay's struggle against the British ban on his novel Pather Dabi in 1927.
Tota Roy Chowdhury plays Sarat Chandra, while Abir Chatterjee portrays Sabyasachi Mallick, the revolutionary character from the novel. Mimi Chakraborty and Kanchan Mullick also feature in the cast.
The film explores the clash between literary freedom, revolutionary thought and British colonial authority, bringing a historical perspective to this year's festive releases.
4. The Eken: Kerala-e Kurukshetra
Release Date: October 15
Language: Bengali
The popular detective Eken Babu returns to the big screen in The Eken: Kerala-e Kurukshetra, directed by Joydeep Mukherjee. Anirban Chakrabarti reprises his role as the unconventional detective.
This time, Eken Babu travels to Kerala to investigate the disappearance of Mihir Sen, a prominent individual played by Kamaleswar Mukherjee. What initially appears to be a possible kidnapping gradually develops into a complicated mystery.
Suhotra Mukhopadhyay, Somak Ghosh, Ritwick Chakraborty and Raima Sen are also part of the cast. The film adds another detective mystery to the Durga Puja release calendar.
5. Prahaar
Release Date: October 16
Language: Hindi
Directed by Avinash Arun, Prahaar stars Rajkummar Rao as public prosecutor Ujjwal Deorao Nikam. The courtroom drama centres on the legal proceedings following the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks and the pursuit of justice for the victims.
Wamiqa Gabbi plays Nikam's wife, while Jaideep Ahlawat, Sikandar Kher and Ashish Vidyarthi also feature in the film.
Combining courtroom proceedings with a subject rooted in India's recent history, Prahaar offers a different narrative from the action and comedy films arriving during the festive season.
6. Nayyi Navelli
Release Date: October 16
Language: Hindi
Yami Gautam headlines Nayyi Navelli, a horror comedy directed by Balaji Mohan. Set in a middle-class household in Meerut, the film follows a newly married woman who quickly wins over her in-laws with her pleasant nature.
However, her brother-in-law Bantu, played by Anurag Thakur, suspects that she is a witch and attempts to expose her. His suspicions create tension within the family as the new bride continues to earn everyone's affection.
Blending family drama with supernatural elements, the film brings a horror-comedy option to the festive line-up.
7. Jailer 2
Release Date: October 15
Language: Tamil
Rajinikanth returns as retired jailer Tiger Muthuvel Pandian in Jailer 2, the sequel to the 2023 action blockbuster. Directed by Nelson Dilipkumar, the film follows the character as he faces another confrontation involving a criminal network.
After taking on an idol-smuggling syndicate in the first instalment, Pandian encounters fresh threats involving former allies and new enemies.
The film also features SJ Suryah, Mithun Chakraborty, Ramya Krishnan, Vidya Balan and Suraj Venjaramoodu. With Rajinikanth returning to one of his recent popular roles, the sequel is among the major South Indian titles in the festive release calendar.
8. Ranabaali
Release Date: October 16
Language: Telugu
Vijay Deverakonda and Rashmika Mandanna lead the cast of Ranabaali, a period action drama directed by Rahul Sankrityan.
Set against the backdrop of the Madras famine of 1876 to 1878, the film follows Ranabaali, played by Vijay Deverakonda, as he fights British forces threatening his village. Rashmika Mandanna plays Jayamma, his wife, who joins the resistance despite being pregnant. Arnold Vosloo appears as British commissioner Sir Theodore Hector.
The film combines historical events with a story of resistance, giving audiences a period drama alongside the season's contemporary action and mystery releases.
Other Films to Watch During the Festive Season
Beyond the eight major releases, international films are also adding to the wider theatrical line-up. Whalefall, a survival thriller starring Austin Abrams and Josh Brolin, is among the titles to watch. The live-action adaptation of the popular video game franchise Street Fighter, featuring Vidyut Jammwal, Jason Momoa and Noah Centineo, is another film attracting attention.
These titles broaden the range of choices for moviegoers looking beyond Indian cinema during the festive break.
Conclusion
Durga Puja 2026 offers a varied mix of films, with Bengali cinema bringing sequels, detective stories and historical drama to the forefront. Hindi, Tamil and Telugu releases add courtroom drama, horror comedy and large-scale action to the line-up.
From DeSu7 and Emperor Vs Sarat Chandra to Jailer 2 and Ranabaali, audiences can look forward to a festive season featuring a range of stories and performances across languages and genres.