Nitesh Tiwari’s Ramayana has become the sixth-highest-grossing Bollywood film in North America after collecting US$12.2 million (about Rs 114.48 crore) in the United States, according to Box Office Mojo figures cited by The Economic Times. The milestone gives the mythological retelling a durable overseas benchmark.
The film had already opened in India and several major international markets before its Jakarta premiere on Wednesday, 11 November, five days later. What happened in Indonesia, though, looked less like a standard release and more like a cultural festival.
A premiere that became a festival
Fans in Jakarta arrived in traditional Indian outfits, walked a red carpet and posed for photographs before IMAX screenings. Reports from the event describe a lobby filled with dance performances, bangle shopping, henna artists and a throne placed for photographs. Some attendees dressed as Ram, Sita, Lakshman and Ravana, turning the premiere into an occasion for spectators as much as for filmgoers.
Indonesia’s enthusiasm has a long tail. The Kakawin Ramayana, an Old Javanese adaptation of the epic, has been popular in the country for centuries, so the story arrives with cultural recognition already in place.
The early international numbers
Beyond the North America ranking, early totals show the film building a broad base:
- Germany: US$627,810 (about Rs 5.89 crore)
- Australia: about Rs 17.52 crore
- United Kingdom: 2.2 million pounds (about Rs 27.55 crore)
- United States: US$12.2 million (about Rs 114.48 crore)
Directed by Nitesh Tiwari, the film stars Ranbir Kapoor, Sai Pallavi and Yash as Lord Rama, Mata Sita and Ravana. Its mix of scale, familiar storytelling and IMAX-friendly presentation has given it a global release pattern that many Hindi films attempt but few sustain.
Why the North America ranking matters
A top-six place in North America is a durable comparison point, not a one-weekend headline. Hindi cinema has long used the territory as a test of crossover strength, and a mythological film reaching the upper bracket suggests that recognition of the source text can do real work in markets beyond the diaspora.
The practical lesson for the industry is to treat the epic’s local adaptations as marketing assets. Where a market already knows a story, a premiere can be built around participation—costume, craft, dance and character photography—rather than a single screening.
Source: The Economic Times
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