With 2025 drawing to a close, the industry outlines the films, series, music trends and genres with a hope to shape entertainment in 2026
Notwithstanding the success of The Ba**ds of Bollywood, the industry can’t accept Aaryan Khan only as a director, not when the Prince is a mirror image of the King with his charisma too. Papa can rule as ‘Pathaan’ while son is ‘Jawaan’.
The four-part British series, revolving around a 13-year-old schoolboy murderer, not only revolutionised TV content—spotlighting incel culture, online bullying and a parent’s worst nightmare—but also technique, its one-take style creating an immersive, fly-on-the-wall experience. We can’t wait for the next season.
Ditto Bridgeton, Euphoria, The Family Man, Paatal Lok, Panchayat, Gullak and Mirzapur (now a movie).
Dhurandhar is topping the box-office worldwide and Rehman Dakait’s song, FAQLA, is a global chart-topper. After Bahraini rapper Flipperachi’s fusion of Arabic hip-hop and Indian table percussion, more cinema-music crossovers should breach geo-cultural boundaries. And the soulful connection we renewed with Sukoon, Skyforce and Saiyaara must continue.
Encore for Aneet Padda and Ahaan Panday: Despite Alzheimer’s, no one is going to forget Saiyaara’s Vaani and Krrish anytime soon. So, let’s reunite the debutants of the year, asap, and welcome newbies, Agasthya Nanda and Simar Bhatia in Ikkis, London Files eye-catcher Medha Rana on screen in Border 2 and South stars Sai Pallavi and Sreeleela in Bollywood with Ramayana and Meri Zindagi Hai Tu.
Zootopia 2
Feel animated: Zootopia 2 is the second highest-grossing film of 2025 while Mahavatar Narsimha is the sixth highest-grossing Indian film and the highest-grossing Indian animated film ever in a pathbreaking year for animation. We have a mythological anime series, Kurukshetra, on Netflix India and an AI-created Mahabharat—Ek Dharamyudh on JioHotstar. Renuka Shahane just took home a Filmfare Award (Best Director Short) for the eight-minute Dhaavpatti (Loop Line) and there’s a two-part 3D, Rs 120-crore animated epic, Baahubali—The Eternal War, in production. Let us stay Spellbound!
Get spooked: From an AI-twisted Companion to a 28 Years Later zombie, from a Valentine’s Day slasher (Heart Eyes) to a Christmas nightmare (Silent Night, Deadly Night), from Sinners and Weapons to Final Destinations: Bloodlines, Hollywood left us terrified. Even at home, we were haunted by Kantara: Chapter 1 (Kannada), Jarann (Marathi), Vash Level 2 (Gujarati), Diés Iraé (Malayalam), Thamma and Maa (Hindi). And since we don’t want the nightmare to end, let’s get into a Bhoot Bangla with The Raja Sahab and become Haiwan.
Okay, Salman Khan is60, but still he is Salman Khan and they don’t want a paper ‘Tiger’ sleepwalking on screen but to roar again as he battles in Galwan.
Listen to Jaya Bachchan rant: From podcasts to the Parliament and the paps, she had plenty to say, and we didn’t hold her back. But this year, unless Guddi had something to rave about, we will freeze her with a “Statue” and pass the baton to Kangna Ranaut to duel with the Gandhis before she imposes another Emergency!
Be disillusioned in love: It broke our hearts when a marriage was called off hours before the ceremony and the couple, Smriti Mandana and Palash Muchhal, broke up a few weeks later. Even more distressing was the ‘Kiss Cam’ at a ColdPlay concert catching a married man and father of two wrapped around a married woman and a mother of two. Happy endings should not be limited to only on-screen love stories.
Two Much with Kajol and Twinkle
Hear bad jokes: No one was amused by Twinkle Khanna’s “Raat gayi baat gayi” comment or Kajol suggesting marriage should come with an expiry date. Normalizing infidelity, endorsing open relationships, dissing mental health issues, the talk show hosts were childish rather than cool. Unless they grow up quickly, Season 2 of Two Much will be another bad joke and might cross the line, like Ranveer Allahbadia did in India’s Got Latent.
Once sequels were the mantra to success, today, most franchises are just business. And a Housefull doesn’t win the War because bigger budgets make profit margins smaller.
Hollywood is coming up with 22 sequels and Bollywood with half-a-dozen, but without a solid script, Scream 7 will just make us scream in frustration and Dhurandhar 2 and Drishyam 3 will remain just post-scripts.
Watch one battle after another: Be warned Ikkis, Border 2, Battle of Galwan, Gorkha, recreating history doesn’t always make box-office history. That’s true for remakes, remixes and re-runs too with the originals free-ly available. Not every film is a Sholay, and in the end, the story is the biggest star!
News Edit KV Raman