BY SACNILK

Mumbai, August 6 - Bollywood star Ajay Devgn is reportedly reshuffling his release calendar, setting up one of the biggest box office battles of 2026. Devgn's jungle adventure Ranger has reportedly been postponed to 2027, with Golmaal 5 taking over its December 4, 2026 release date, according to Variety India. If the report proves accurate, the Rohit Shetty directorial will lock horns with Prabhas' Fauzi and Akshay Kumar's untitled comedy entertainer directed by Anees Bazmee. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}) The reshuffle significantly raises the stakes for the December corridor. While Golmaal 5 and Akshay Kumar's yet-to-be-titled film belong to the comedy genre, Fauzi, directed by Hanu Raghavapudi, is a large-scale period action drama led by Prabhas. The clash would offer audiences two commercial comedies against a pan-India action spectacle, making it one of the most diverse and highly anticipated box office battles in recent years. However, Golmaal 5's arrival (if official) could also trigger another major release change. Akshay Kumar is playing a major role in Rohit Shetty's comedy alongside Ajay Devgn. Releasing two Akshay Kumar-led commercial entertainers on the same day would split both the actor's fanbase and the comedy audience, making it an unlikely scenario. As a result, Anees Bazmee's untitled film is also a strong candidate to move to another release date, although no official decision has been announced yet. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}) If that happens, Prabhas' Fauzi could be left facing only Golmaal 5, turning the clash into a battle between one of Indian cinema's biggest comedy franchises and one of the country's biggest pan-India stars. Golmaal 5 boasts an ensemble cast featuring Ajay Devgn, Akshay Kumar, Arshad Warsi, Shreyas Talpade, Tusshar Kapoor, Kunal Kemmu and Sharman Joshi, who returns to the franchise after appearing in the original Golmaal: Fun Unlimited (2006). Meanwhile, Fauzi stars Prabhas alongside Imanvi, Anupam Kher, Mithun Chakraborty, Bhanu Chander and Jayapradha. The film carries high expectations following director Hanu Raghavapudi's critically acclaimed Sita Ramam and Prabhas' massive pan-India fan base. On the other hand, Akshay Kumar's untitled comedy with Anees Bazmee also stars Vidya Balan and Raashii Khanna. While the release calendar is yet to be officially finalised, the coming weeks are expected to bring clarity on whether Bollywood will witness a three-way blockbuster clash or another round of strategic postponements.