‘Ramayana’ Advance Bookings Cross Rs 36 Crore, Ranbir Kapoor’s Epic Generates Strong Pre-Release Buzz

MUMBAI, Nov 2: Nitesh Tiwari’s much-awaited mythological epic Ramayana has recorded an impressive response in advance ticket sales, collecting Rs 36.68 crore across India, including block bookings, just four days ahead of its scheduled theatrical release. The strong pre-release performance has increased expectations surrounding the film, which is among the most ambitious cinematic projects in Indian cinema.

According to trade estimates reported by Sacnilk and published by NDTV Profit, the film had accumulated Rs 36.68 crore in advance bookings by Sunday night. Excluding block seats, the collection stood at Rs 29.88 crore, indicating substantial interest from individual moviegoers ahead of the opening day.

Approximately 8.39 lakh tickets had been booked across 24,548 shows in 438 cities. Without block bookings, the number stood at around 6.76 lakh tickets. The figures suggest that the production has attracted attention across a wide geographical area, with audiences showing interest in multiple language versions.

The Hindi version has emerged as the strongest contributor to advance sales, while the Kannada and Telugu editions have also witnessed increasing demand. The film has recorded 62 housefull shows, including 12 completely sold-out screenings, reflecting strong interest in selected locations.

Sunday, November 1, proved particularly encouraging for the makers. Since the 6 am booking cut-off, the film added Rs 6.19 crore to its advance collection, while the figure excluding block seats stood at Rs 5.78 crore. The increase has strengthened expectations of a sizeable opening, although actual box office performance will depend on audience response after the film reaches theatres.

Directed by Nitesh Tiwari, the project features Ranbir Kapoor as Lord Rama, Sai Pallavi as Goddess Sita and Kannada superstar Yash as Ravana. The ensemble cast also includes Sunny Deol as Hanuman and Ravi Dubey as Lakshmana.

Several experienced performers have been brought together for important supporting characters. Arun Govil plays King Dasharatha, Indira Krishnan portrays Queen Kaushalya, Sonal Jha appears as Sumitra and Lara Dutta has been cast as Kaikeyi. Anupam Kher plays Jatayu, while Rakul Preet Singh portrays Surpanakha. Kajal Aggarwal and Vivek Oberoi are also part of the production.

The casting has been one of the major talking points since the project was announced. Ranbir Kapoor’s transformation into Lord Rama has attracted considerable interest, while Yash’s portrayal of Ravana has generated discussion among audiences familiar with his work in the KGF franchise.

Sai Pallavi’s involvement has also raised expectations, particularly because the actress is known for her performances in emotionally driven roles. Her portrayal of Sita is expected to be an important element of the film’s narrative.

The production has attracted attention not only because of its subject but also because of the scale of its presentation. Backed by producer Namit Malhotra, the project is being developed as a two-part cinematic adaptation of the Indian epic. Its reported overall budget is approximately Rs 4,000 crore, making it one of the costliest Indian film projects ever undertaken.

The filmmakers have aimed to present the familiar story through a combination of large-scale visual effects, detailed production design and international technical collaboration. The project has been designed to appeal to audiences in India as well as viewers in overseas markets.

Another major feature is its musical collaboration. Oscar-winning German composer Hans Zimmer has joined forces with Indian music maestro AR Rahman to create the film’s musical score. Their association has generated considerable curiosity, as the combination brings together two distinct musical traditions.

The screenplay has been written by Sridhar Raghavan and Nitesh Tiwari, while the dialogues have been developed by Tiwari and Shreyas Jain. The filmmakers have sought to combine the epic’s established narrative with a cinematic treatment suited to a contemporary global audience.

The film will be released in Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam and Kannada, allowing it to reach audiences across different linguistic regions. Its international distribution is being handled by Sony Pictures outside India, while Dharma Productions is overseeing distribution in the Hindi-speaking market.

The first instalment, officially titled Namit Malhotra’s Ramayana in India, is scheduled to arrive in cinemas on November 5, 2026. Its international title is Ramayana: Rise of a Legend. The second part is expected to release during Deepavali 2027.

The film’s reported running time in India is three hours and 15 minutes, while the international version has a shorter duration of 167 minutes. The extended runtime reflects the scale of the story and the filmmakers’ intention to explore its major characters and events in considerable detail.

The advance booking figures have placed the film among the most closely watched upcoming theatrical releases. However, industry observers will be looking beyond pre-sales to assess its opening-day occupancy, audience feedback and performance over the first weekend.

The film also faces the challenge of meeting expectations created by its enormous production scale and long promotional campaign. Mythological subjects carry a strong cultural connection with Indian audiences, but their cinematic presentation often invites considerable scrutiny.

For the makers, the immediate priority will be converting the encouraging advance sales into sustained theatrical attendance. A strong opening could provide the project with momentum, while positive audience feedback would be crucial for maintaining collections beyond its initial release period.

With a prominent cast, internationally recognised musical collaborators and a large-scale production, Ramayana has become one of the most anticipated releases of the year. Its box office journey will also offer an indication of the commercial potential of major Indian mythological productions in domestic and international markets.