Ranbir Kapoor and Yash's Ramayana tops IMDb H2 2026 list
Ranbir Kapoor and Yash's "Ramayana Part 1" is the most-watched Indian film on IMDb heading into the second half of 2026, topping the platform's Most Anticipated Indian Movies list for July through December. Nitesh Tiwari's epic adaptation claimed No. 1 among 20 Indian titles with confirmed theatrical or streaming releases in the year's second half.
Variety reported exclusively that IMDb compiled the ranking from page views logged by more than 250 million monthly visitors between Jan. 1 and June 28. For fans tracking streaming and TV alerts, the list offers a data-driven preview of which Indian releases are drawing the heaviest pre-release attention.
Key Takeaways
- "Ramayana Part 1" ranks No. 1 on IMDb's Most Anticipated Indian Movies list for July–December 2026.
- Ranbir Kapoor plays Ram and Yash plays Ravana; Yash also appears at No. 3 with "Toxic."
- The 20-title list reflects page views from IMDb's 250 million-plus monthly visitors through June 28.
- Rankings cover five languages, led by 12 Hindi titles, four Tamil, two Malayalam, one Telugu and one Kannada.
- Shah Rukh Khan's "King" (#4) and Alia Bhatt's "Alpha" (#2) round out the top tier behind Ramayana.
Why does "Ramayana Part 1" lead IMDb's second-half list?
IMDb measures anticipation through actual user engagement—not studio marketing spend. "Ramayana Part 1" outpaced every other eligible Indian film in page views during the first six months of 2026, signaling sustained global curiosity about Nitesh Tiwari's adaptation of the classic epic.
Kapoor headlines the cast as Ram, while Yash takes on Ravana. Sunny Deol also appears in the project and lands separately at No. 12 with "Ikka," underscoring how star-heavy franchises dominate IMDb attention this year.
Who else appears on IMDb's most anticipated Indian movies list?
Beyond the top slot, the ranking reads like a roll call of Bollywood and regional cinema's biggest bets. "Alpha," headlined by Alia Bhatt with Anil Kapoor, holds No. 2. Anil Kapoor also features in No. 4 "King," starring Shah Rukh Khan.
Ajay Devgn anchors both No. 5 "Dhamaal 4" and No. 6 "Drishyam 3." Yash's "Toxic" sits at No. 3. The full 20-title rundown also includes Tamil entries "Vishwanath & Sons" (#7), "Arasan" (#13), "Idhayam Murali" (#18) and "Sigma" (#19); Malayalam films "Khalifa" (#14) and "I'm Game" (#15); Telugu title "Ranabaali" (#16); and Hindi releases such as "Haiwaan" (#9), "Eetha" (#10), "Awarapan 2" (#11), "Shakti Shalini" (#17) and "Vvan – Force of the Forrest" (#20).
What does this ranking signal for Indian cinema in H2 2026?
IMDb's list covers only films with confirmed theatrical or streaming releases in the second half of 2026, making it a practical watchlist for the remainder of the year. The dominance of mythological spectacle, franchise sequels and multi-star ensembles suggests audiences are gravitating toward event-scale storytelling.
With Hindi titles comprising 12 of the 20 slots, Bollywood retains the broadest footprint, but Tamil, Malayalam, Telugu and Kannada releases all made the cut—reflecting India's multilingual box-office landscape. For the definitive breakdown, see the full report at Variety.