Nine days into its initial theatrical run, Namit Malhotra’s Ramayana is on the verge of a number only a handful of Indian films have reached: $40 million in overseas gross. If the Nitesh Tiwari directorial gets there on Friday, it would set a new speed record for Indian cinema’s initial-run overseas business, according to trade estimates that remain subject to revision.
The $40 million club
The comparison matters because it deliberately separates later East Asian releases. Dangal, Secret Superstar and Bajrangi Bhaijaan earned far more overseas eventually, but their delayed East Asian rollouts make them a different test. RRR‘s reported overseas total likewise includes a subsequent Japanese run. In the initial-run club, only Baahubali 2, Pathaan, Jawan and Dhurandhar 2 have crossed $40 million. None of them reached the mark in nine days: Pathaan took two weeks, while Jawan and Dhurandhar 2 needed until their third weekend.
North America and the UK do the heavy lifting
North America provided $17.49 million from the US and Canada in seven days, narrowly ahead of Dhurandhar 2‘s $17.32 million for the same period by roughly $170,000. The territory accounts for nearly half of Ramayana‘s overseas business and has already carried the film past the lifetime North American totals of Jawan, Pushpa 2, RRR and Animal within its opening week. It also established a new first-Monday record for an Indian film in North America.
The United Kingdom delivered a second stronghold. After becoming the first Indian film to top the official UK and Ireland weekend chart, Ramayana had collected about $3.85 million, or roughly £2.90 million, by Wednesday. That took seven days to pass Dhurandhar 2‘s eight-day extended opening total of about £2.75 million.
Smaller markets widen the base
The film is not dependent on one or two territories. Thailand contributed an estimated $850,000 after seven days, Singapore around $550,000 and Vietnam $350,000. Nepal added about NPR 12.80 crore, roughly ₹8 crore, in eight days. Indonesia opened November 11 with more than 1,000 shows—above the initial allocations for Pathaan and Jawan—and collected about IDR 1.67 billion, or $92,000, on opening day.
- North America: $17.49 million in seven days
- UK and Ireland: roughly $3.85 million by Wednesday
- Thailand, Singapore, Vietnam: an estimated $1.75 million combined
- Nepal: about ₹8 crore in eight days
Sony Pictures’ distribution plan includes further releases across Latin America and parts of Europe. Individually those markets may not match the top two, but their combined business could become increasingly valuable as Ramayana moves toward its eventual overseas lifetime total. With the second weekend now beginning, the record depends on whether the broad base keeps compounding.
Source: Sacnilk
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