New Year special | UP’s cinematic boom: Varanasi, Lucknow, Prayagraj lead major 2026 Bollywood and OTT releases

THe twelvemonth 2026 is go under to see a boniface of swelled projects that have been shot in Uttar Pradesh, with Varanasi, Lucknow, Prayagraj, and Agra-Mathura-Varanasi emerging as the prime shoot destinations. The series of projects shot in the year 2025 are readying up to hit the screen this year. We take a look at the projects that film lovers expect to see with Uttar Pradesh in the backdrop. Lucknow-based line-producer Aroon Singh Dicky is currently helming shoots for two OTT series in Lucknow and nearby areas.“Starting with Dharmendra sir’s last film Ikkis on January 1, to films like Anil Kapoor’s Subedar and Pankaj Tripathi-starrer Parivarik ManuRanjan, we did many shoots that will hit the screen this year. Interestingly, people are exploring new locations than the regular ones in Lucknow and Varanasi,” says Aroon.On shooting in Lucknow outskirts, actor Eijaz Khan says, “I had the time of my life shooting my crime thriller in the mango belt. Places like Malihabad are unbelievably close to nature.” Varanasi-based Rati Shankar Tripathi shot the feature film Mirzapur in Varanasi and nearby areas. “Earlier, too, we had shot OTT series seasons in Varanasi-Mirzapur and Lucknow. This partial shoot was held in the original locations before the team shifted to Rajasthan.” He adds that SS Rajamouli’s Varanasi, which is being shot in Hyderabad, may also be shot in the city as well.The Mahakumbh saw the Abhishek Banerjee and Shahana Goswami starrer-film Mahasangam being shot in Prayagraj. “Director Bharat Bala sir shot the film during the peak Mahakumbh in guerrilla shoot mode. Muddasar Aziz’s film Pati Patni Aur Woh Do with Ayushmann Khurrana and Sara Ali Khan was also shot in Prayagraj and other cities in UP,” says line-producers Niraj Tripathi and Rishabh Yadav.Line producer Gyan Prakash Pandey informs that he has shot for a Russian Jingsong film in Varanasi this year. Shooting of a film starring Annu Kapoor and recently Umar Qaid with actors Nawazuddin Siddiqui and Huma Qureshi was recently wrapped in Lucknow informs line-producer Gyanendra Singh.Look out for:Mirzapur: The Film starring Pankaj Tripathi (Kaleen Bhaiya), Ali Fazal (Guddu Pandit), Shweta Tripathi with Ravi Kishan and Jitendra Kumar joining the ensemble.Subedaar with actor Anil Kapoor shot in Lucknow, Kanpur and Agra-Chambal.Lucknow-based producer and filmmaker Noman Malik’s web series tentatively titled STF, directed by Vijay Pall Singh and starring Eijaz Khan and more.Pati Patni Aur Woh Do starring Ayushmann Khurrana, Sara Ali Khan, Wamiqa Gabbi and Rakul Preet Singh shot in Prayagraj-Lucknow.Bharat Bala’s Mahasangam with Abhishek Banerjee, Shahana Goswami.Ikkis starring Agyasta Nanda, Dharmendra and Jaideep Ahlawat.Vinay Chhawal’s film Umar Qaid with actors Nawazuddin Siddiqui and Huma Qureshi, Priyamani, Faisal Malik and Manav Vij.Pankaj Tripathi, Aditi Rao Hydari and Brijendra Kala in Parivarik ManuRanjan.Ritwik Bhowmik starrer project Khatai was shot in Lucknow.