October at the Movies: 6 Big-Screen Releases to Book After Drishyam 3 (Oct 9–23)

The first weekend of October belongs to one film. With Drishyam 3: The Conclusion opening on October 2, Vijay Salgaonkar's final chapter is where most of India's ticket money is going, and we already covered it alongside this week's streaming picks in our what to watch guide for September 28 to October 4.

But here's the thing: Drishyam is just the opening act. The three weeks that follow are stacked with some of the biggest theatrical bets of the year, across Tamil, Telugu, Hindi and Hollywood. There's a Rajinikanth sequel, a Vijay Deverakonda period epic, two very different Hindi films, a video-game adaptation with a wild ensemble and an R-rated DC horror movie. If you only budget for two or three cinema trips this month, this guide will help you pick.

We've grouped everything by release week. Dates are the announced theatrical dates; Hollywood titles list their US opening, so check your local listings in India for show times.

Week of October 9: A Spy Comedy Warms Things Up

Udta Teer

Release date: October 9, 2026 · Where: In theatres · Language: Hindi · Genre: Spy comedy, action

Directed by Akash A. Kaushik, Udta Teer reunites Ayushmann Khurrana and Sara Ali Khan, with Ram Kapoor and Gulshan Grover in support. The premise is pure high-concept fun: a Pakistani spy loses his memory and becomes convinced he is actually an officer in an Indian counter-terrorism squad. The trailer leans hard into the comedy of a man confidently doing the wrong job, and Ayushmann has built a career on exactly this kind of offbeat, slightly absurd lead role.

Why watch: It's the lightest film on this list, a good pick for a group outing when nobody wants three hours of intensity.

Week of October 15–16: The Big Clash

This is the weekend the whole month is built around. Four major films land within two days, and they couldn't be more different from one another.

Jailer 2

Release date: October 15, 2026 · Where: In theatres · Language: Tamil (with dubbed versions expected) · Genre: Action comedy, crime thriller

Rajinikanth returns as Tiger Muthuvel Pandian in Nelson Dilipkumar's follow-up to the 2023 blockbuster. The makers have confirmed the October 15 date and publicly dismissed delay rumours, so this one is locked. Ramya Krishnan is back, with S. J. Suryah and Mithun Chakraborty among the new additions. The story picks up with the retired jailer once again leaning on his violent past to protect his family.

Why watch: Nelson's blend of deadpan humour and massive "hero entry" moments made the first film a theatre event. Watch this one with a loud first-day crowd, not alone on a Tuesday.

Ranabaali

Release date: October 16, 2026 · Where: In theatres · Language: Telugu · Genre: Period action drama

Vijay Deverakonda reteams with director Rahul Sankrityan (who made Shyam Singha Roy) for the most ambitious film of his career. He plays a tribal warrior who leads a guerrilla rebellion against British rule during the Great Madras Famine, with Rashmika Mandanna opposite him and Arnold Vosloo in the cast. The team has stood firm on the October 16 date despite the crowded weekend.

Why watch: A rarely-told chapter of colonial history on a big canvas. If the scale matches the ambition, this is the one to see on the biggest screen near you.

Prahaar: The Untold Story of Ujjwal Nikam

Release date: October 16, 2026 · Where: In theatres · Language: Hindi · Genre: Biographical legal drama

Rajkummar Rao plays the special public prosecutor Ujjwal Nikam in this biopic directed by Avinash Arun, with Wamiqa Gabbi, Jaideep Ahlawat and Sikandar Kher alongside him. The film follows Nikam's courtroom battles and the personal cost of the cases that made his name, including the prosecution that followed the 26/11 Mumbai attacks.

Why watch: Rajkummar Rao doing a real-life role in a courtroom setting is about as safe a bet as Hindi cinema offers. It's the counter-programming pick for anyone who isn't in the mood for action.

Street Fighter

Release date: October 16, 2026 (US) · Where: In theatres (Paramount Pictures) · Language: English · Genre: Martial arts action

Directed by Kitao Sakurai, this new take on the Capcom fighting game is set in 1993. Estranged fighters Ryu (Andrew Koji) and Ken Masters (Noah Centineo) are pulled into the World Warrior Tournament by Chun-Li (Callina Liang), where they have to work together against David Dastmalchian's M. Bison. The ensemble is gloriously strange: Jason Momoa, Cody Rhodes, Roman Reigns, 50 Cent, and, for Indian audiences, Vidyut Jammwal as Dhalsim. Trailers and tickets are on the official Street Fighter movie site.

Why watch: Vidyut Jammwal in a Hollywood tournament movie is reason enough for action fans, and the '90s setting suggests the film knows exactly how silly and fun it should be.

Week of October 23: DC Goes Full Horror

Clayface

Release date: October 23, 2026 (US) · Where: In theatres (DC Studios / Warner Bros.) · Language: English · Genre: Body horror, superhero

Moved to October by DC Studios, Clayface is directed by James Watkins (Speak No Evil) from a story by Mike Flanagan. Tom Rhys Harries plays Matt Hagen, an aspiring actor whose face is disfigured by a gangster. Desperate, he turns to a fringe scientist, and the treatment turns his body into clay. Naomi Ackie co-stars. It's rated R, and the marketing on the official Clayface movie site is selling it as a tragedy first and a superhero film second.

Why watch: It's the perfect Halloween-season date movie for horror fans, and a real test of whether the new DC Universe can work outside the usual cape-and-cowl formula.

Staying In Instead?

Not every weekend has to be a cinema weekend. Marvel's fall calendar is heating up on streaming too: we broke down why VisionQuest suddenly owns Marvel's October calendar and what its two-episode premiere night means for the release schedule. We also looked at how the MCU is using streaming as the warm-up act for its big-screen return. And if you've fallen behind on recent OTT arrivals, our roundup of new OTT movies to stream this weekend is a good place to catch up.

Our Pick: How to Spend Your October Ticket Budget

If you can only make one trip, make it the October 15–16 weekend. Jailer 2 is the crowd experience of the month, the kind of film that's twice as fun with a packed hall whistling at every entry. If you want something with more weight, Ranabaali is the bigger gamble with the bigger potential payoff.

For a second trip, split by taste: Udta Teer for a relaxed comedy night, Prahaar for a grounded, performance-driven drama, Street Fighter for pure popcorn, or Clayface if you like your superhero movies soaked in dread.

Our verdict: Jailer 2 for the theatre high, Ranabaali for the spectacle, and Clayface as the wildcard that could surprise everyone. Book early for that mid-month weekend, because screens are going to be very, very crowded.