A forest officer against a poaching gang

You have seen Ajay Devgn play cops, soldiers and action heroes for years. Ranger gives him a fresh uniform. He plays a forest officer who protects tigers and fights a poaching gang deep in the wild. Sanjay Dutt plays the other side of that fight. Reports say he leads the poaching operation. That sets up a direct clash between the two stars, and reports call it their first full blown action face off on screen. Tamannaah Bhatia also stars in a key role. The film is directed by Jagan Shakti, who directed Mission Mangal in 2019. Ajay Devgn, Luv Ranjan, Ankur Garg and Anand Pandit produce it. The working title is Ranger. Makers have said that title may change before release. For now, trade reports and listings still use Ranger, so you will find it under that name in most calendars.

What the story is reported to be

Reports from Mid-Day in August 2026 give the clearest story sketch so far. Ajay plays a forest officer who must protect wildlife while dealing with a weak team, corrupt seniors and a ruthless gang. That mix gives the film more than action scenes. It gives it a system to fight, beyond one villain. Poaching is a real and urgent issue in India. Tiger numbers, forest cover and local jobs all tie into it. A mainstream film that puts that fight on screen can reach people who never read a wildlife report. If Ranger handles that theme with care, it could land harder than a plain action film. The climax has drawn extra attention. A Sacnilk report from August 20, 2026 said Ajay stepped in to oversee a reworked climax with action director Kevin Kumar. The sequence was filmed at Golden Tobacco Studio in Vile Parle, Mumbai, on a large jungle set. That report says the finale centres on a high stakes confrontation between Ajay forest officer and Sanjay poaching gang. A reworked climax often means the makers want more scale. It can also mean the first version did not land as planned. Either way, it shows the team is still shaping the film for a big screen payoff.

The date shift you need to know

Ranger was first locked for December 4, 2026. Bollywood Hungama reported that date in November 2025, with a source saying the makers picked a vacant Friday with a strong box office record. Then came the shift. On September 19, 2026, the Times of India reported that Ranger had moved out of December 2026. The new window, as per that report, is after Eid in 2027. Eid in 2027 falls in March, so trade talk now points to a post Eid 2027 release. A later Times Now update also notes the move. It says Ranger has been postponed from its planned December 2026 release and is now expected in 2027. No exact new date has been confirmed by the makers in public reports as of November 2, 2026. That shift changed the December picture. Shraddha Kapoor Eetha kept December 4, 2026. An untitled comic caper with Akshay Kumar, Vidya Balan and Raashii Khanna was then linked to the same period. Ranger exit gave those films more breathing room.

Why the makers may have moved it

A post Eid window gives Ranger a cleaner run. December 2026 is packed with Eetha, King, Shakti Shalini talk and Hollywood titles. A jungle action film could get squeezed for screens in that crowd. March 2027 brings its own crowd too. Salman Khan Eid film, Prabhas Spirit and Khosla Ka Ghosla 2 all sit around March 5, 2027. If Ranger lands after Eid, it may still face strong rivals. The makers will need to pick a week with care. Production work also matters. A reworked climax takes time. Visual effects for jungle and animal scenes take time too. A move to 2027 may simply give the team room to finish the film right, rather than rush it for December. You should treat the new date as reported, not confirmed. Until the makers announce a fresh date, post Eid 2027 is the best guide from trade reports. Keep an eye on official social posts from the producers for the lock.

The teaser launch that built buzz

Ranger got a smart launch pad. Box Office Worldwide reported in August 2026 that the Ranger teaser would play in cinemas with Drishyam 3 on October 2, 2026. That put the first look in front of a large Ajay Devgn crowd on Gandhi Jayanti weekend. A teaser attached to a big Ajay film is a strong move. It tells fans the makers trust the material. It also lets the team test crowd reaction before a full trailer. If you saw Drishyam 3 in cinemas, you may have caught that teaser already. If you missed it, the online trailer should follow once the new release window firms up.

What to watch for next

Watch for the final title. If Ranger changes, the new title will tell you a lot about the tone. A Hindi rooted title would signal a mass action film. A short English title would signal a sleek, modern pitch. Watch for Tamannaah role details too. Early reports keep her part vague. A clear character note in the trailer will show if she drives the story or supports the two male leads. Watch the wildlife angle as well. The best version of Ranger will make you care about the forest, beyond the fight. The worst version will use tigers as props. The trailer should make that choice clear in its first minute. For now, Ranger remains a film to track, not a film to book yet. Ajay versus Sanjay in a jungle, with a poaching gang in the middle, is a strong pitch. The 2027 window gives the makers time to prove it on screen.

Sources and reporting

  1. Times of India — 19 September 2026 · Verifies move from December 4, 2026 to post Eid 2027 and story sketch
  2. Bollywood Hungama — 22 November 2025 · Verifies original December 4, 2026 date, director and working title note
  3. Sacnilk — 20 August 2026 · Verifies reworked climax report and forest officer versus poacher gang finale