IMDb Names Ramayan 2026's Most Awaited Indian Film

The loudest queue for 2026 may not be outside a Shah Rukh Khan film.

That is the neat little surprise in IMDb’s latest list of most anticipated Indian films. The top spot has gone to Ranbir Kapoor’s Ramayan, not King.

For an industry that loves star power, this says something useful. The audience still wants big names, yes. But it also wants scale, mythology, franchise value, and a reason to leave home.

Ramayan leads the 2026 buzz

Ramayan sits at number one on IMDb’s ranking of most awaited Indian films. Nitesh Tiwari directs the film, with Sai Pallavi and Yash joining Ranbir Kapoor in key roles.

That mix explains the excitement. You have a mainstream Hindi star, a respected South actor, and a story every Indian home knows.

This is not just another big-budget film. Ramayan carries cultural weight before a single trailer lands. Viewers already know the emotional stakes.

For producers, that is gold. Marketing does not need to teach the audience the world. It only needs to prove the film deserves it.

That is also the risk. When a story is this familiar, people arrive with strong expectations. One wrong visual choice can become a national argument.

Still, the ranking shows that mythological spectacle remains powerful. After years of action franchises and spy films, the old epics still pull attention.

King still has heavyweight draw

King ranks fourth, which hardly counts as a poor showing. For most films, a top-five place would be a dream.

The film matters because Shah Rukh Khan returns to a new screen equation. He shares the frame with Suhana Khan for the first time.

That alone gives the project extra curiosity. The film also arrives after his recent box office comeback reshaped trade expectations.

Industry talk has linked King to a story about a seasoned marksman protecting a young girl. Shah Rukh is expected to play the older, sharper figure.

That positioning is smart. It lets him move away from pure romantic nostalgia. It also gives younger viewers a grittier star vehicle.

But IMDb’s list suggests one clear thing. Shah Rukh’s name can still create heat, but concept now matters more than ever.

A film cannot depend only on legacy. The audience wants a package that feels fresh, even when the star is familiar.

Spy films and franchises crowd the slate

The second spot goes to Alpha, starring Alia Bhatt, Sharvari Wagh, Bobby Deol and Anil Kapoor. That is a serious signal for Hindi cinema.

Alpha sits inside the growing hunger for spy thrillers. The genre gives studios a useful promise: action, glamour, scale, and repeat viewing.

Alia Bhatt’s presence also changes the usual math. Hindi action cinema has long leaned on male-led universes. Alpha tests a wider playbook.

At number three sits Toxic, led by Yash. His presence after KGF keeps trade interest high across languages.

Yash now carries pan-India value. That phrase gets used too often, but in his case it means something simple. He can pull attention beyond one state.

Ajay Devgn has two films in the top ten. Dhamaal 4 is at number five, while Drishyam 3 is at number six.

That split says a lot about his career. One film sells comfort comedy. The other sells tension and memory from an already trusted thriller brand.

Mirzapur: The Movie appears at number eight. That is another sign of how streaming brands now feed theatre plans.

A popular web universe can become a theatrical bet. Studios like this because the audience already knows the characters.

Regional cinema keeps widening the map

The top 20 list stretches well beyond Hindi. It includes 12 Hindi films, four Tamil films, two Malayalam films, one Telugu film and one Kannada film.

This matters more than a ranking table. Indian audiences now track films across language lines with far less hesitation.

A viewer in Jaipur may wait for a Tamil star vehicle. A Bengaluru viewer may follow a Hindi spy film. Subtitles helped, but ambition did more.

The list also includes Vishwanath and Sons, Haiwaan, Eetha, Awarapan 2, Ikka, Arasan, Khalifa, I Am Game, Ranbali, Shakti Shalini, Idhayam Murali, Sigma, and Vvan: Force of the Forest.

Some are star-led. Some are franchise plays. Some seem built around genre curiosity.

That mix is healthy for theatres. Multiplexes need tentpole films, but they also need variety across weekends.

After a patchy few years, exhibitors know the lesson well. One big film cannot save a quarter. A steady pipeline can.

For ordinary moviegoers, this means more choice. Mythology, comedy, thrillers, action dramas, and web spin-offs will fight for the same wallet.

That wallet is not unlimited. Families now compare cinema tickets with food bills, OTT subscriptions, and weekend travel.

So the films that win will need more than noise. They will need trust, event value, and strong word of mouth.

The IMDb ranking is not a box office forecast. It is a temperature check. Right now, Ramayan feels hottest because it combines memory, scale and casting.

King still has star curiosity. Alpha has the advantage of genre momentum. Toxic has Yash’s post-KGF pull.

The real test begins when trailers arrive and release dates lock. Until then, the list tells us where the audience is looking. In 2026, it is looking at stars, yes, but also at stories big enough to justify the trip to a theatre.