With a series of much-awaited films backed by star power slated to hit the theatres in December, the domestic box office is set to witness several interesting clashes, including a face-off between Shah Rukh Khan and Prabhas. Here’s a look at the most anticipated movies that will compete with each other to bid farewell to the year that saw blockbusters shatter records and revive the Indian film industry following the pandemic-induced slump.

Vicky Kaushal and Ranbir Kapoor to face off on December 1

The December movie mania is set to kick off with a clash between actors Vicky Kaushal and Ranbir Kapoor. Vicky’s Sam Bahadur and Ranbir’s Animal are slated to hit theatres on December 1. Sam Bahadur is a Meghna Gulzar-helmed biopic on Field Marshal Sam Manekshaw in which Vicky plays the titular role. Animal, directed by Sandeep Reddy Vanga, is an action thriller also starring Rashmika Mandanna, Anil Kapoor and Bobby Deol.

Sriram Raghavan vs Karan Johar on December 8

Helmed by Pushkar Ojha and Sagar Ambre, Yodha had initially locked December 15 as its release date. However, Karan Johar's Dharma Productions, who are the producers of the Sidharth Malhotra-starrer, decided to prepone the release by a week to December 8. In a twist of fate, Sriram Raghavan's upcoming directorial Merry Christmas — also scheduled to release on December 15 — has been rescheduled for a December 8 release. Johar had earlier written a cryptic post on Instagram Threads against the makers of the Vijay Sethupathi and Katrina Kaif-starrer for deciding to release their film on the same day as Yodha.

Shah Rukh Khan vs Prabhas on December 22

Bollywood star Shah Rukh Khan, currently basking in the success of Pathaan and Jawan, is all set to cap off the year with Rajkumar Hirani’s Dunki. However, this time, he's locking horns with Prabhas, as Prashanth Neel's Salaar, produced by Hombale Films, is also scheduled to release on December 22. The clash between these two powerhouses is expected to be one of the biggest highlights of the year, with both films eyeing the Christmas holiday crowd.