Sandalwood's H1 2026 is anchored by two films that exceeded every projection. Toxic — Yash's return after the KGF franchise — went in a completely different direction: a Colombian cartel thriller with Geetu Mohandas directing. KD: The Devil gave Dhruva Sarja his career-defining role and delivered ZEE5's biggest Kannada original of the year. Both released in the first six months. Both have changed what the industry expects from Sandalwood ambition.
Sandalwood H1 2026: New Releases
Toxic
Yash as a Colombian drug cartel operative whose past in Karnataka begins catching up. Geetu Mohandas directed. Hombale Films' follow-up after the KGF franchise — an entirely different genre and far more dangerous territory. Released March 19, 2026. Streaming on Prime Video.
Prime Video
KD: The Devil
Dhruva Sarja as a conflicted officer navigating the boundary between law and vigilantism in a city where the two are indistinguishable. ZEE5's biggest Kannada original of 2026. Kannada action cinema at a new level of production ambition. Released June 5, 2026 on ZEE5.
ZEE5Sandalwood Catalog: Essential Kannada Streaming
Prime Video holds the pan-India Kannada blockbusters — KGF 1, KGF 2, Kantara, 777 Charlie, and Garuda Gamana Vrishabha Vahana. SunNXT dominates local-language catalog: Kirik Party, Ulidavaru Kandanthe, French Biriyani. ZEE5 Kannada carries Vikrant Rona and KD: The Devil. Netflix serves the Kannada dub audience for RRR, Baahubali 1 and 2, and Pushpa 2. Together, these platforms make Kannada the richest single regional language library in Indian streaming.
KGF: Chapter 2
The crown jewel of Kannada cinema's recent era. Rocky Bhai versus everyone. Yash's performance defines modern Sandalwood — and the standard Toxic had to clear. Prime Video.
Prime Video
KGF: Chapter 1
The origin of Rocky Bhai. The film that proved Kannada cinema could go pan-India with the right story and the right star. Start here. Prime Video.
Prime Video
Kantara
Rishab Shetty's folk-horror thriller. A man, his deity, a forest officer, and a generational conflict. Matched KGF's cultural impact on its own terms. Kantara 2 is in active production. Prime Video.
Prime Video
777 Charlie
Rakshit Shetty and Charlie the dog. No franchise, no spectacle — just emotional precision. The film that proved Sandalwood's range goes far beyond action. Prime Video.
Prime Video
Garuda Gamana Vrishabha Vahana
Raj B Shetty's gritty police-versus-criminal story. Two brothers on opposite sides of the law. Kannada crime cinema at its most uncompromising and least compromising. Prime Video.
Prime Video
Vikrant Rona
Kichcha Sudeep in a gothic mystery-action film. 3D spectacle, village atmosphere, and a murder mystery at the centre. ZEE5's Kannada anchor and KD: The Devil's predecessor on the platform.
ZEE5
Kirik Party
Rakshit Shetty's engineering college drama. Ragging, romance, and real consequences. One of Sandalwood's most enduring crowd-pleasers — still SunNXT's most-rewatched Kannada film.
SunNXT
Ulidavaru Kandanthe
Rakshit Shetty's multi-perspective crime story set in coastal Karnataka. Formally inventive and genuinely gripping — the film that established Rakshit Shetty as Sandalwood's creative force. SunNXT.
SunNXT
French Biriyani
A French tourist lost in Bangalore with an auto driver as his guide. Kannada comedy at its most exportable — travels well across languages and cultures. SunNXT.
SunNXT
RRR (Kannada)
Ram and Bheem. Naatu Naatu. The Oscar for Best Original Song. Rajamouli's finest in Kannada dub on Netflix — still the most-rewatched Indian film by Karnataka audiences on the platform.
Netflix
Baahubali: The Beginning (Kannada)
Rajamouli's epic origin story in Kannada dub. The film that proved Indian cinema could match Hollywood spectacle — and changed what Sandalwood producers thought was possible. Netflix.
Netflix
Baahubali 2: The Conclusion (Kannada)
The answer to the question India asked for two years. ₹1,810 crore worldwide. The conclusion to Rajamouli's pan-India epic in Kannada dub. Netflix.
Netflix
Pushpa 2: The Rule (Kannada)
Allu Arjun's all-time record Indian film. The smuggler who refuses to bow — in Kannada dub for the Karnataka audience that has always been part of Pushpa's core base. Prime Video.
Prime VideoH2 2026: What Sandalwood Has Coming
Sandalwood's second half of 2026 has Kantara 2 in active production — Rishab Shetty's follow-up to the cultural phenomenon. SunNXT has originals confirmed for Q3. KD: The Devil's ZEE5 numbers in June established Dhruva Sarja as one of 2026's breakout Sandalwood stars. And Toxic's Prime Video performance will shape Hombale's next announcement — likely one of the most anticipated Kannada productions since KGF: Chapter 2 itself.