Doraemon: Castle of the Undersea Devil — India's First Doraemon Movie Hits Theatres Oct 2

Somewhere in the early 2000s, a school bag hit the floor at 4 p.m., homework got postponed, and a blue robotic cat from the 22nd century took over the television. If you grew up in India then, I don't need to name the show. Twenty years later, Doraemon is finally doing what it never did back then: coming to a cinema near you.

Doraemon the Movie: New Nobita and the Castle of the Undersea Devil releases in cinemas across India on October 2, 2026 — the franchise's first theatrical outing in the country (Moneycontrol). For the generation that grew up watching the blue cat after school, this one is personal.

The 20-year wait

Doraemon has been a fixture on Indian television for two decades — The Statesman notes the character grew up on Indian TV, with a generation watching on Hungama TV. But a full theatrical release? That never happened. Until now. TV Asahi's Maiko Sumida, head of animation sales and development, told The Telegraph the team was "honored to finally bring Doraemon to the big screen in India after 20 years," adding that the deep-ocean adventure was made for children and for the adults who grew up with the character. It isn't really a kids' movie. It's a reunion.

Three languages, one weekend

TV Asahi and PVR INOX Pictures are bringing the film to Indian theatres in Hindi, Tamil and Telugu — a proper nationwide rollout, not a token limited release. Black White Orange is reported to be running fan engagement and promotional activities, with school programmes, digital promos, outdoor ads and mall activations. The character reportedly appeared at CORE, a pop culture festival at Mumbai's Jio World Convention Centre, in June. You don't mount a campaign like that for a film you expect to play to half-empty halls.

Old gadgets, new ocean

It starts the way the best Doraemon adventures do: with an argument. Nobita and his friends can't agree where to camp for summer vacation, so Doraemon suggests the middle of the ocean. With secret gadgets in tow — an underwater buggy, a special light — the five head off on an undersea camping trip. Then things get serious: after finding a sunken ship, they meet El, a mysterious young "undersea person" from the Mu Federation, whose people distrust surface humans. And then the news everyone fears: Devil's Rock Castle has begun to move.

The film credits Tetsuo Yajima as director and Isao Murayama for the screenplay, adapted from Fujiko F. Fujio's original manga. The Japanese voice cast reportedly brings back the long-running regulars — Doraemon (Wasabi Mizuta), Nobita (Megumi Ohara), Shizuka (Yumi Kakazu), Gian (Subaru Kimura), Suneo (Tomokazu Seki) — with Shoya Chiba voicing El. A few details worth knowing: this is the 45th Doraemon feature film, a remake of the 1983 classic, which opened in Japan on February 27, 2026 and topped the box office for six straight weekends (Anime News Network) — with 4D screenings, a franchise first.

Why Indian cinemas should pay attention

Anime has been quietly building a theatrical audience in India for years. But Doraemon isn't a niche fandom title — it's a household name. The character has been on Indian television for two decades, which means the parents buying tickets this October are the same people who watched after school in the 2000s. That's a rare thing in exhibition: a family film where the nostalgia works on two generations at once.

Here's how I'd read it: this is the real test of whether India's anime audience has outgrown the fandom ghetto. A three-language rollout says TV Asahi and PVR INOX aren't aiming for a cult opening. If it works, every anime distributor will suddenly discover the Indian calendar.

Castle of the Undersea Devil is theatres-only on October 2 — PVR INOX cinemas across India, in Hindi, Tamil and Telugu. No streaming date is announced. Don't overthink it. Book the tickets.