India, Nov. 6 -- In two months, 2025 will come to an end. However, the saga of musical chairs of release dates in Bollywood is just getting started. In the past few days, the release calendar for December has been completely rearranged. It began with the Alia Bhatt-Sharvari starrer Alpha, another instalment in YRF's Spy Universe, moving from December 25 to next year. The first film to capitalise on the slot was Kartik Aaryan and Ananya Panday's rom com Tu Meri Main Tera Main Tera Tu Meri, which has now been preponed from December 31 to 25. Meanwhile, actor Agastya Nanda and debutant Simar Bhatia's Ikkis, directed by Sriram Raghavan, had also locked December 25, with Tu Meri Main Tera later setting up a box-office clash. Ikkis was earlier scheduled for an October 2 release. The film's producer Dinesh Vijan had recently told us that they "didn't want to clash" with any other film. It remains to be seen what they do in the new scheme of things. As for Alpha, the reason cited for the delay is that VFX work is taking longer than expected. Trade analyst Atul Mohan says, "Alpha's change led to it all. Some of the biggest blockbusters have arrived in the past on Christmas, so of course any film would want to release if they are ready. Tu Meri's makers took the right decision." On the Ikkis vs Tu Meri clash, he adds, "This Diwali too saw a clash. Traditionally, the Diwali weekend was seen as one of the biggest in the year. Only now are Republic Day and Eid seen as big days for a release, maybe since the past 15 years. Otherwise it would be Diwali. This time, Thamma and Ek Deewane Ki Deewaniyat clashed. In fact, Deewaniyat had a relatively new team, and managed to work." Filmmaker Sanjay Leela Bhansali's ambitious Love and War, starring Alia Bhatt, Ranbir Kapoor, and Vicky Kaushal, has reportedly moved from its Eid 2026 slot to August 14, 2026. A source says, "Principal photography is still racing towards a finish." Meanwhile, Shahid Kapoor's O Romeo, co-starring Triptii Dimri, originally set for December 5 this year, will now release on Valentine's Day 2026. Trade analyst Taran Adarsh feels these shifts are strategic. He shares, "2026 might seem like a dry year for now, but these release-date changes are ensuring that the year starts off well with good releases in December leading up to January."...