Alia Bhatt and Sharvari Wagh's Alpha has been postponed for the second time. The action thriller, directed by Shiv Rawail and produced by Aditya Chopra, is YRF's first female-led film in its spy universe, which features movies like Ek Tha Tiger (2012), Tiger Zinda Hai (2017), War (2019), Pathaan (2023), Tiger 3 (2023) and War 2 (2025).
On Saturday, December 27, film critic and trade analyst Taran Adarsh shared the announcement on Instagram. The decision was taken by the makers to avoid a clash with Salman Khan's war drama Battle of Galwan. The movie, directed by Apoorva Lakhia, is slated to release on April 17, 2026. Meanwhile, Alpha's new premiere date is yet to be revealed.
In the post, Taran Adarsh wrote, “ALPHA AVOIDS CLASH WITH BATTLE OF GALWAN. YRF TO DECIDE ON NEW DATE. Aditya Chopra steps aside for Salman Khan, moving Alpha from its earlier announced release date of 17 April 2026 to avoid a direct clash with Battle Of Galwan. YRF had locked 17 April 2026 for Alpha, but the makers will now announce a new release date after assessing the theatrical release calendar over the next couple of months.”
This is not the first time that Alpha has faced pushback. Initially, the film was supposed to hit the big screens on December 25, as confirmed by Alia on the sidelines of the Milan Fashion Week. The delay was attributed to the need to further improve the VFX work, ensuring that Alpha is presented in a more visually appealing format for viewers.
Speaking on the matter, a YRF spokesperson shared, “Alpha is an extremely special film for us and we want to present the film in its most cinematic self. We have realised that the VFX will take a little longer than we had initially assumed. We want to leave no stone unturned to make Alpha into a theatrical experience for everyone to cherish.”
On the other hand, Battle of Galwan is inspired by the real-life India-China clash in 2020, which took place during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic in India.
