The trigger for this battle is Dhurandhar. The first part became one of the biggest blockbusters in Indian cinema, and what shocked the trade was its stamina. Even after six weeks, the film is still posting strong numbers, which is rarely seen today. Riding on that success, the makers have officially locked Dhurandhar 2 for a March 19, 2026 release.

This time, the sequel is being released as a full pan India film, with a clear focus on South Indian markets as well. Despite rumors of a delay, the director has confirmed that the March 19 date is final. Trade circles are extremely confident, with many believing the sequel could turn out even bigger than the first part if the content clicks.

Just a week later, on March 27, Ram Charan's Peddi will hit theatres. The biggest concern is overlap. Dhurandhar 2 is expected to dominate North India from day one due to the goodwill of the first film. That dominance could spill into the South as well.

The buzz for Dhurandhar 2 is extremely high not only in the North but also in the South. Because of this, it is likely to dent Peddi in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. Peddi may score a huge initial in Telugu, but for a long run, it will need tremendous word of mouth. Otherwise, Dhurandhar 2 could dominate Peddi even in the South.

Peddi is also aiming for pan India fame. Ram Charan and his team believe that the subject has the potential to click in the Hindi market and lay a strong foundation for him as a pan India star. However, if Dhurandhar 2 turns out to be as strong as the first part, Peddi could suffer significantly in Hindi markets. It may also struggle to get a good number of screens and shows in the North.

Even so, the Peddi makers are going ahead, believing in their film and releasing it just a week after Dhurandhar 2 and Toxic. Ram Charan fans are also expecting a huge impact from Peddi in the North. They know how crucial the Hindi market has become for tier-1 Telugu stars who want to attain pan-India stardom. Already, Prabhas and Allu Arjun have moved far ahead of Ram Charan in terms of pan-India reach, and Charan fans do not want their hero to trail behind them.

Dhurandhar 2 will arrive first and is sure to get a massive number of screens. Toxic, backed by strong Bollywood distribution by Anil Thadani, is unlikely to settle for leftovers and will push hard for a large screen count despite clashing with Dhurandhar 2.

That leaves Peddi entering an already packed market. Its screen share in the North will depend entirely on how the first two films perform. If either turns out to be underwhelming in terms of content, Peddi can take over those screens quickly. If both hold strong, Peddi may have to settle for a limited release in Hindi.

Dhurandhar has already stormed the box office with Rs.800 crore in India and a staggering $20 million in the US market. What is even more interesting is that the Telugu diaspora in the US watched the Hindi version in huge numbers which clearly shows the film's reach beyond language barriers.

When the second part arrives, that audience is almost certain to return. This time, they are expected to watch the Telugu version, as the film is releasing in multiple languages. This factor alone could seriously dent Peddi in the US which is releasing a week later on March 27.

Dhurandhar 2 does not even need extraordinary word of mouth due to Aditya Dhar's strong credibility. A decent to above average talk would be enough to trigger massive collections across India and overseas markets, including the US. If the sequel comes anywhere close to the impact of the first part, it could turn into a full-blown box office storm and dominate the release window putting Peddi under serious pressure.