Box Office Showdown Averted: Varun Dhawan’s Rom-Com Steps Aside for Yash’s ‘Toxic’
Mumbai, March 10, 2026 — In a major scheduling shift designed to prevent a massive box office collision, the release date for Varun Dhawan’s upcoming romantic comedy, Hai Jawani Toh Ishq Hona Hai, has been officially pushed back.
Initially slated for a June 5 release, the film will now hit theaters a week later on June 12, 2026. The strategic delay was finalized to steer completely clear of Yash’s highly anticipated action-thriller, Toxic: A Fairy Tale for Grown-ups, which has locked in a June 4 global premiere.
Makers Cite Industry Solidarity
The production banner behind the Varun Dhawan-starrer, Tips Films, took to Instagram on Tuesday to announce the postponement. In an open note to fans, the studio emphasized that avoiding a clash is a move rooted in mutual support rather than fear of competition.
“We strongly believe that it is always healthier for the industry when filmmakers support one another rather than compete unnecessarily on the same date,” the statement read. “In that spirit of solidarity, we have decided to move the release of Hai Jawani Toh Ishq Hona Hai to 12th June and bring our film to the audiences a week later.”
Two Vastly Different Cinematic Experiences
The delay means audiences will experience two distinctly different blockbuster flavors in June.
Hai Jawani Toh Ishq Hona Hai, directed by veteran comedy filmmaker David Dhawan, promises a lighthearted, family-friendly narrative. The film, which also stars Mrunal Thakur and Pooja Hegde, reportedly follows the quirky story of a repeatedly rejected man who eventually receives divine intervention to find love.
On the opposite end of the spectrum is the gritty, high-stakes world of Toxic. Written and directed by Geetu Mohandas, the pan-India action epic features KGF superstar Yash alongside an ensemble cast including Nayanthara, Kiara Advani, and Huma Qureshi.
Notably, Toxic had also previously altered its release schedule. Originally planned for March 19, the mega-budget film was delayed to June 4 due to the ongoing geopolitical conflicts in the Middle East, which impacted its massive overseas distribution network.
