South Indian films are never short of entertainment and often provide the audience with just the right dose to start any day with a bang. If you want to start the year with freshness and energy, here is a list of South Indian movies that you should watch on New Year’s Day.
5 must watch South movies for a great start to 2026
1. Salar: Part 1 – Armistice
- Mould: Prabhas, Prithviraj Sukumaran, Bobby Simha, Shruti Haasan, Jagapathi Babu, Shriya Reddy, Easwari Rao
- Director: pacific blue
- Style: epic action thriller
- Language: Telugu
- Runtime: 2 hours 55 minutes
- Where to watch: JioHotstar, Netflix (Hindi)
Salaar: Part 1 – Ceasefire, starring Prabhas and Prithviraj Sukumaran in the lead roles, was released in theaters in 2023. As the audience is still waiting for its sequel in 2026, the film remains a perfect dose of entertainment.
The film is the story of two friends Deva, an exiled prince and Vardha, the current prince of Khansar, who once saved Deva’s life. When a coup is planned by Vardha’s father’s ministers and relatives, she is forced to call on her most trusted ally to protect both herself and Khansar, leading to an action-packed story.
2. Thallumala
- Mould: Tovino Thomas, Kalyani Priyadarshan, Shine Tom Chacko, Lukman Awaran, Swati Das Prabhu, Adhri Jo, Austin Dan
- Director: Khalid Rehman
- Style: action comedy
- Language: Malayalam
- Runtime: 2 hours 27 minutes
- Where to watch: Netflix
Thallumala, starring Tovino Thomas, is ideal for anyone looking for an exciting series of battles set to energetic music. As the title suggests, the film is built around a series of fights, narrated in a non-linear format.
The film is the story of a popular influencer Wazeem and his group of friends. As he deals with the breakup of his love interest, Fatima Biwi, the narrative jumps back and forth across timelines, exploring what went wrong and where he ultimately ended up, largely due to his impulsive and aggressive nature.
3. Theri
- Mould: Thalapathy Vijay, Samantha Ruth Prabhu, Amy Jackson, Nainika, Mahendran
- Director: Atlee
- Style: action drama
- Language: tamil
- Runtime: 2 hours 30 minutes
- Where to watch: SunNXT, Amazon Prime Video (Telugu)
While Mersal may be the most popular collaboration between Thalapathy Vijay and Atlee, their first film together still serves as a perfect watch to begin 2026.
This action drama tells the story of Joseph Kuruvilla, a single father and bakery owner who lives with his daughter. After a minor altercation with a local gang puts his daughter’s life in danger, Joseph is forced to reveal his true identity as IPS officer Vijay Kumar, who was presumed dead.
The entire film is an engaging and action-packed film, full of many thrilling moments.
4. KGF: Chapter 1 and Chapter 2
- Mould: Yash, Sanjay Dutt, Raveena Tandon, Srinidhi Shetty, Ramachandra Raju, Vashishtha N Simha, Ananth Nag, Prakash Raj
- Director: pacific blue
- Style: action drama
- Language: Kannada
- Runtime: 2 hours and 35 minutes (Chapter 1), 2 hours and 48 minutes (Chapter 2)
- Where to watch: Amazon Prime Video, JioHotstar
If you are looking for bigger, bigger characters, then there is nothing better than Yash starrer KGF. The duology packs everything you need to fill the day with adrenaline and goosebumps.
The films follow the journey of Rocky, an orphan who promises his dying mother that he will conquer the world and live life for the rich. Both chapters describe his rise from a mercenary to the kingpin of a gold empire and his rise to become one of the most feared men in history.
5. Ayyappanam Koshiyum
- Mould: Biju Menon, Prithviraj Sukumaran, Gauri Nanda, Anna Rajan, Ranjit, Anil Nedumangad, Anu Mohan, Sabumon Abdus Samad
- Director: true
- Style: action thriller
- Language: Malayalam
- Runtime: 2 hours 57 minutes
- Where to watch: amazon prime video
If an interesting and intense action thriller is your thing, then Ayyappanum Koshiyum is a must watch on OTT. The film tells the story of two men, Ayyappan Nair, a police officer, and constable Koshy Kurian, whose conflict begins when Koshy is arrested for possessing liquor in a dry area.
After his arrest, Koshy vows revenge and carefully plots against the officer, eventually drawing Ayyappan into a protracted ego battle. The growing conflict between the two men leads to an exciting confrontation, which escalates every moment towards a fierce test of dominance.
The movies listed above are just a few of the many South Indian movies that you can enjoy at your convenience, helping you ring in the new year with high-octane entertainment.
Also read: Is Prithviraj Sukumaran a part of Tovino Thomas’ action film Pallichattambi? Here’s what we know
