Nitesh Tiwari’s two-part Ramayana reaches cinemas on 5 November with an advance that has already set the terms of its opening. As of the morning of 4 November, the film had grossed Rs 96.64 crore in domestic pre-sales including blocked seats, according to Sacnilk figures cited in trade reports. Without blocked seats, the figure stood at Rs 77.38 crore. The same reports put the worldwide opening-weekend advance at above Rs 100 crore, helped by North America, Australia and the United Kingdom.
The language split behind the number
The Hindi version is not only leading; it is carrying the bulk of the opening. Across India, the advance breaks down as follows:
- Hindi: Rs 78.88 crore
- Telugu: Rs 8.09 crore
- Kannada: Rs 7.27 crore
- Tamil: Rs 1.84 crore
- Malayalam: Rs 49.23 lakh
That gives Hindi more than 80 per cent of the reported domestic advance gross. Telugu and Kannada have contributed a meaningful southern presence, but the opening is still anchored in one language.
Overseas, the early signals point in the same direction. North American paid-preview bookings have crossed USD 1.2 million, with opening-weekend advance sales in the territory around USD 3 million, according to the same reports.
Why the cost base matters more than the first day
The film is not an ordinary star vehicle. The two-part adaptation is reported to have a combined budget of around Rs 4,000 crore, or roughly USD 420–500 million. Industry estimates cited in the reports place the first instalment’s overall cost near Rs 2,000 crore, with core filming expenditure at around Rs 1,000–1,100 crore. These are media estimates, not officially confirmed figures.
The scale shows in the credits. DNEG is handling visual effects, while A.R. Rahman and Hans Zimmer have composed the music. The reported cast pay adds another layer: Ranbir Kapoor is said to have been paid Rs 150 crore for both instalments, Yash Rs 100 crore, Sunny Deol Rs 40 crore and Sai Pallavi Rs 12 crore, though the makers have not confirmed these numbers.
What to watch once the first show opens
For readers who follow the box office closely, the opening number is useful but incomplete. A Rs 4,000 crore two-part project cannot be judged by a front-loaded first day. The more telling markers are the first Saturday, the hold into the second weekend, and whether the Telugu and Kannada versions expand beyond their current pre-sale share.
If the economics work, the film resets what Indian producers can underwrite for mythological spectacle. If they do not, the cost base becomes the lesson. The first answer arrives on 5 November; the fuller one will take months.
Source: The Times of India
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