After Geetu Mohandas’ Toxic, starring Yash, postponed the film’s release amid the ongoing conflict in the Middle East, two other films have moved up their release dates to take advantage of the festive slot. Harish Shankar’s Ustaad Bhagat Singh, starring Pawan Kalyan, and Darling Krishna’s Love Mocktail 3 have advanced their releases and will now arrive earlier than planned. Both films are set to clash with Aditya Dhar’s Dhurandhar: The Revenge, the sequel to his blockbuster Dhurandhar, starring Ranveer Singh.
The makers of Ustaad Bhagat Singh announced the new release date on X (formerly Twitter). “Ustaad massacre this Ugadi. Our USTAAD arrives a week early to spark massive celebrations at the box office. Ustaad Bhagat Singh GRAND RELEASE WORLDWIDE ON 19th MARCH, 2026,” the post read.
ఈ ఉగాదికి ఉస్తాద్ ఊచకోత 🔥🔥
— Mythri Movie Makers (@MythriOfficial) March 5, 2026
Our USTAAD arrives a week early to spark Massive celebrations at the box office 💥#UstaadBhagatSingh GRAND RELEASE WORLDWIDE ON 19th MARCH, 2026.#UBSOnMarch19th
POWER STAR @PawanKalyan @harish2you @sreeleela14 #RaashiiKhanna @ThisIsDSP… pic.twitter.com/G6AoBLqxVq
The film has been in production since 2023. It is an adaptation of the 2016 Tamil film Theri, directed by Atlee and starring Vijay.
Love Mocktail 3, directed by and starring Darling Krishna, will also hit theatres on March 19. KVN Productions announced the revised release date on X (formerly Twitter).
#KVNProductions #LoveMocktail3 pic.twitter.com/nFRGBHkPcz
— KVN Productions (@KvnProductions) March 5, 2026
The film was earlier scheduled to release on April 10. However, after Toxic vacated its March slot, the makers decided to release the film early. Before revealing the new date, Darling Krishna and his wife Milana Nagaraj, who has also co-written the film, had asked fans on social media to guess the updated release date.
Interestingly, the film is produced by the same production house that is backing Toxic as well as Vijay’s upcoming film Jana Nayagan.
The makers of Toxic: A Fairytale for Grown-Ups postponed the film’s release to ensure it reaches the widest possible audience once the tensions between Iran and Israel ease.
“Toxic: A Fairy Tale for Grown-ups is a film we conceptualised with the vision to create cinema for a global audience. Filmed in Kannada and English, it is built with the conviction to connect with viewers both at home and across the world. After years of dedicated labour, we were excited to share our film with you all on the 19th of March. However, the current uncertainty, especially in the Middle East, has created a situation that impacts our goal to reach and connect with the widest possible audience,” the statement read.
The film will now release on June 4 and is set to clash with Varun Dhawan’s Hai Jawani To Ishq Hona Hai. The David Dhawan directorial is scheduled to release in theatres a day later, on June 5.
