After months of speculation, the makers of Toxic: A Fairytale For Grown-Ups have finally locked a new release date. Headlined by Yash, also starring Kiara Advani, and directed by Geetu Mohandas, the pan-India action spectacle will now hit theatres worldwide on August 26.

While Toxic arrives on a Wednesday, coinciding with Onam and giving it a two-day head start before the weekend, it will still face competition at the box office. On August 28, three other films — Khosla Ka Ghosla 2, Shraddha Kapoor’s Eetha and Sidharth Malhotra’s Vvan — are currently slated to release, setting up one of the busiest weekends on the 2026 release calendar. Interestingly, if the films release as planned, real-life couple Sidharth and Kiara will see their films clash at the box office.

Toxic was originally slated for an earlier release before undergoing several date changes. Industry buzz linked one of the shifts to a crowded release calendar and a clash with Ranveer Singh’s Dhurandhar The Revenge, which eventually secured the March 19 release slot. Toxic was later set for a June 4 release, but Yash confirmed in April that the team needed more time to align its global distribution strategy and international partnerships ahead of its worldwide rollout.

Akkshay Rathie, Director, Ashirwad Theatres Pvt Ltd, believes the situation remains fluid and that producers may still rethink their release strategies. “Two films with the ability to create a significant impact across the length and breadth of India ideally shouldn’t arrive together because every stakeholder wants to optimize revenues. Toxic is undoubtedly the bigger pan-India film in terms of geographical reach. Eetha may have stronger relevance in Maharashtra and certain markets, but Toxic has the potential to perform across urban as well as rural India,” he says.

Rathie adds that the announcement has caught the industry off guard and could trigger further movement on the release calendar. “This announcement has come completely out of the blue. There is still time and everyone will do whatever it takes to protect the best interests of their respective films,” he explains.

Kamal Gianchandani, CEO, PVR, believes that even if the clash is not averted, four films can be accommodated. He shares, “Cinemas have enough and more capacity to accommodate three or more films, especially when the movies are varied in sizes. We’ll see what decision other producers take on their release dates, because they often go back to the drawing board and rethink their dates.”

Sameer Munshi, VP, Miraj Entertainment Ltd, adds, “From an exhibitor’s perspective, this is a good clash to have. A packed release calendar indicates confidence in the theatrical business and gives audiences more choice. If the content works, all films can find an audience, even though Toxic is likely to be the clear opening-weekend leader.”

Deepak Mishra, director of Vvan, confirms that the movie is set to release on August 28, on the occasion of Raksha Bandhan. On the clash, he says, “We are the same industry. As artistes, we all want to showcase our work well. Eventually, the audience is the king. My best wishes to the Toxic team.”

When asked if there is a possibility that Vvan could be pushed to another date, Mishra says, “That will be a call that the makers will take. I am only focused on my work.”

A climax can make or break even the biggest films, and the makers of ‘Vvan: Force Of The Forest’ are taking no chances. The team behind the upcoming folk thriller is heading back for a 10-day additional shoot to expand and strengthen key portions of the film, especially its climax.

Starring Sidharth Malhotra and Tamannaah Bhatia, the film recently underwent a review of its final cut, after which the makers decided to revisit a few sequences. “The team simply felt there was scope to make some scenes bigger and more dramatic. When you’re building a world as unique as ‘Vvan’, every detail matters,” says a source close to the production.

Directed by Deepak Kumar Mishra and Arunabh Kumar, the film blends mythology, mystery, and forest lore. According to the insider, the team is pleased with the film’s progress and sees the additional shoot as an opportunity to elevate the viewing experience further.

“The makers are extremely happy with the film. These additions will give audiences an even richer payoff in the final act,” adds the source.

Balaji Telefilms is restructuring its business strategy with a sharper focus on movies and digital content, aiming to reduce its reliance on traditional television, which is under pressure due to pay-TV erosion and industry consolidation impacting margins.

Historically, television has been the company’s core business, with Balaji dominating primetime for years and delivering a string of popular shows.

During the company’s Q4 and FY25 earnings call on July 4, Group CEO and CFO Sanjay Dwivedi said the company is at the cusp of a turning point, driven by internal consolidation, strategic partnerships, and a redefined content distribution strategy.

“Over the next 2.5 to 3 years, movies will become the group’s primary growth driver, followed by digital, with television as the third focus area,” Dwivedi told investors. “We look at the content business broadly, whether TV or digital, alongside our motion pictures division and our B2C digital operations, including platforms like YouTube, Meta, and our proprietary app.”

A key initiative during the year was the merger of ALT Balaji and Marinating Films into Balaji Telefilms, streamlining operations, reducing cost redundancies, and enabling significant tax benefits. This consolidation is expected to improve resource allocation across its core verticals, movies, television, and digital content.

Among the notable developments was a long-term content partnership with Netflix. Described by Dwivedi as “not a one-show, one-movie, or single-format deal,” the multi-year agreement spans various formats including direct-to-OTT films, telenovelas, binge-watch series, and reality shows. The collaboration builds on Balaji’s earlier Netflix projects such as Kathal, Pagglait, and Jaane Jaan.

Balaji also revamped its digital strategy, moving away from a purely subscription video-on-demand (SVOD) model to a hybrid framework that incorporates both SVOD and ad-supported video-on-demand (AVOD). “Relying solely on SVOD has been a financial drag,” said Dwivedi. “Our app now operates on both ad-supported and subscription-based models.”

This shift helped reduce ALT Balaji’s cash burn from over Rs. 120-145 crore annually to just Rs. 35 lakh per month. The platform currently has over two million active users and added 3.29 lakh subscriptions in Q4, including 1.73 lakh renewals. Still, Dwivedi emphasized that ALT Balaji would now form a “smaller piece” of the broader digital strategy, as the company expands its presence across platforms.

Balaji Telefilms, he said, is keeping production costs for its app-based content low, with shows costing around Rs. 2.5–3 lakh each. This means the app will not significantly burden the company’s balance sheet.

The platform is still a small part of the overall business, but the company plans to diversify its offerings and launch a cleaner, more refined version of the app in the future, he noted.

On the B2B front, Balaji has built a digital content order book worth over Rs. 300 crore, with projects commissioned by platforms such as JioHotstar. “Three shows were delivered in the last fiscal, two of which—Power of Paanch and Kull—performed strongly on JioHotstar. We are also in talks for second seasons,” said Dwivedi.

To further broaden its digital reach, Balaji launched Kutting, a short-form vertical video platform similar to Instagram Reels and is developing regional content in Tamil and Telugu. The company’s new YouTube channel crossed one million subscribers within a month of its launch.

The film division, which Balaji expects to be its main growth engine over the next three years, is gaining momentum. Using a pre-sale and co-production model, the company recovers 85-90% of production costs before release. “We don’t greenlight any movie until digital rights are secured,” Dwivedi noted. “Across our film portfolio, we’ve delivered a 22% return on capital over six years.”

The upcoming movie slate includes Vrushabha starring Mohanlal, set for a Diwali 2025 release; Bhooth Bangla featuring Akshay Kumar and directed by Priyadarshan; and Vvan, a collaboration with The Viral Fever starring Sidharth Malhotra. Balaji plans to double its annual movie output from three to six films.

Despite its legacy in television, the segment is facing yield and margin pressures. “TV yields remain under stress, still down by more than 25% compared to pre-COVID levels,” Dwivedi said. Flagship shows like Bade Achhe Lagte Hain Phir Se and Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi are ongoing, while discussions are underway with Colors for new titles, including a fresh season of Naagin.

For FY25, Balaji reported revenue of Rs. 453 crore, down from Rs. 625 crore the previous year. However, net profit surged to Rs. 84.6 crore from Rs. 19.4 crore.

The company also raised Rs. 130.7 crore in new capital during the year, with participation from promoters. The funds are being allocated across movies (Rs. 65 crore), digital and music content (Rs. 33 crore), and general corporate purposes (Rs. 32.5 crore). “In three years, we expect movies to be our primary business, followed by digital, with television becoming the third revenue stream,” Dwivedi reiterated.

Looking ahead, Balaji is optimistic about rising content demand and platform growth. The company recently launched Kalnagri, an AI-generated show, as part of its push into tech-driven content creation.

However, Dwivedi ruled out a digital business spin-off for now. “Once the business scales and there’s enough investor interest to unlock value, we can consider evaluating that option,” he said.