Kiara Advani in Toxic, Janhvi Kapoor in Peddi, Raghav Juyal in The Paradise, Mrunal Thakur in Dacoit: 10 Bollywood actors set to rule South Indian cinema in 2026

Joining Yash, Nayanthara, Huma Qureshi, Rukmini Vasanth, Tara Sutaria-starrer gangster drama Toxic, Kiara Advani steps into Kannada cinema, adding another language to her already diverse filmography. The pan-India scale of the Geetu Mohandas film and her growing presence across industries make this one of her most exciting ventures yet.

Janhvi Kapoor returns to Telugu cinema with Ram Charan-starrer sports action drama Peddi, her second Telugu-language film after Devara: Part 1 headlined by Jr NTR. With the upcoming Buchi Babu Sana directorial, Janhvi continues to strengthen her presence in South Indian cinema, reflecting her growing comfort and ambition across industries.

After Sita Ramam with Dulquer Salmaan and Hi Nanna with Nani, Mrunal Thakur's next Telugu release is Dacoit opposite Adivi Sesh. The action drama, which also features famous filmmaker Anurag Kashyap, places her firmly in the South Indian cinematic space while reaching audiences nationwide, marking an important step in her pan-Indian journey.

Wamiqa Gabbi continues her impressive multi-industry journey with three major South Indian projects in 2026. She will be seen in the Telugu action thriller G2, the Tamil intense romantic drama DC, and the Malayalam action drama Tiki Taka, further cementing her status as a truly pan-Indian performer with strong screen presence across languages.

Saiee Manjrekar will be seen in the Telugu film The India House. Set against the backdrop of pre-independence London, the film weaves a compelling love story amid the political turbulence surrounding the historic India House movement, and also features Nikhil Siddhartha and Anupam Kher. It also marks Ram Charan's debut as a producer.

Raghav Juyal is set to make his South Indian debut with the Telugu film Paradise led by Nani and helmed by Srikanth Odela. Known for his distinct screen personality, this move marks a significant transition for Raghav as he explores new cinematic spaces beyond Hindi entertainment after acclaimed performances in Kill and The Ba***ds of Bollywood.

Akshay Oberoi makes his South Indian debut with the much-awaited Kannada pan-India film Toxic, that also features Yash, Nayanthara, Kiara Advani, Huma Qureshi, Rukmini Vasanth, and Tara Sutaria. Known for his sharp choices across films and web series, Akshay’s entry into Kannada cinema signals a bold expansion into new cinematic territories.

After redefining himself beyond comedy, Abhishek Banerjee steps into Tamil storytelling with the Netflix web series Legacy, that also stars R Madhavan, Gulshan Devaiah, and Nimisha Sajayan. The project marks his expanding presence across industries and highlights his growing demand for layered, performance-driven roles in pan-Indian content.

Adarsh Gourav is all set to make his South Indian debut with the Telugu film Happy Birthday Uma, which is a combination of psychological horror and science fiction. Making the move especially meaningful, the globally acclaimed actor will be acting in his mother tongue, adding a personal and cultural layer to this milestone in his career.

After the massive success of Rishab Shetty's Kannada epic action drama Kantara Chapter 1 last year, Gulshan Devaiah will continue to rule South Indian cinema as he features in the Tamil Netflix web series Legacy and will also be seen in the Telugu movie Maa Inti Bangaram, where he shares screen space with Samantha Ruth Prabhu.