Bollywood is all set for a high-voltage box office clash in 2026, as Kartik Aaryan’s much-hyped creature-comedy Naagzilla is slated to release on August 14, the same day as Varun Dhawan’s horror-comedy sequel Bhediya 2. With both films promising unique blends of VFX, comedy, and fantasy elements, fans are already bracing themselves for one of the biggest cinematic face-offs in recent times.
The buzz around Naagzilla hit a high on April 22, when Kartik Aaryan dropped the film’s first motion poster, marking his second collaboration with Karan Johar after Tu Meri Main Tera. Directed by Fukrey fame Mrighdeep Singh Lamba, the film showcases Kartik as an ‘icchadhaari naag’—a wishful serpent who seems to be navigating both the modern cityscape and ancient legend. The motion poster featured a shirtless Kartik in blue jeans, gazing at the city from a den-like home, with part of his body revealing serpentine scales. The quirky tagline—“Naag lok ka pehla kaand… Funnn phailaane aa raha hai”—hinted at a comedy-heavy narrative layered with myth and madness.
Meanwhile, Maddock Films, known for building its own horror-comedy universe, had already confirmed in January that Bhediya 2—a sequel to their 2022 hit—would release on the same date. The film reunites Varun Dhawan, Kriti Sanon, and Abhishek Banerjee, under the direction of Amar Kaushik, and continues the tale of the man-turned-werewolf with a blend of scares, laughs, and social commentary. With the first film enjoying cult popularity among young audiences, expectations from the sequel are massive.
Interestingly, this isn’t the first time Kartik Aaryan and Maddock Films are headed for a clash. The Diwali 2025 lineup already sees Kartik’s untitled musical romantic film (with Sreeleela and directed by Anurag Basu) going head-to-head with Maddock’s Thama starring Ayushmann Khurrana and Rashmika Mandanna. With Naagzilla and Bhediya 2 now eyeing the same release weekend in 2026, it seems the competition between Kartik and Dinesh Vijan’s banner is turning into an annual blockbuster duel.
With Independence Day being a lucrative window for film releases, both Naagzilla and Bhediya 2 will aim to cash in on the long holiday weekend. As fans pick sides and memes begin to flood social media, industry insiders are watching closely to see which creature comedy—the naag or the bhediya—wins the box office jungle.