Five days before Ramayana opens worldwide, the Nitesh Tiwari epic has crossed ₹40 crore in global advance booking. The total got a push from North America after the film’s Los Angeles premiere, while a week-long tussle between Indian distributors and exhibitors finally eased.
India’s screen logjam breaks
Advance sales opened on Dussehra, 15 days before the November 5 release, but for the next ten days only the Hindi version had widespread shows. Many single screens and smaller centres stayed shut because Dharma Productions, the India distributor, asked for a higher share of theatrical revenue to reflect the film’s production cost.
Distributors offered two options: a 55% share for the first 11 days, or a three-week slab of 60% in week one, 50% in week two and 40% in week three. Exhibitors pushed back, citing their own costs and the precedent a higher share could set for other big films.
Sacnilk reported on Friday that the deadlock was resolved, though the final terms were not shared. By Saturday, the film’s India screen count had risen to almost 2,500.
The numbers so far
- Worldwide advance gross: ₹40 crore, five days before release
- India advance gross: ₹16.5 crore from over 3 lakh tickets
- Overseas advance bookings: $2.5 million, including over $1 million for US paid previews
- Kannada version: 13% of the India gross from 150 screens
Overseas momentum carries the total
North America will host paid previews on November 4, a day before the global release. In the 24 hours after the world premiere, the film recorded a 27% jump in collections. By Friday, overseas advance bookings stood at $2.5 million, with US paid previews alone adding more than $1 million.
That overseas heat has helped the worldwide advance figure, even while India screens were still opening up. Telugu and Tamil shows are now being added steadily and are expected to be fully open by Monday.
Why this matters to fans
Ramayana is planned as a two-part feature from Namit Malhotra’s Prime Focus Studios, DNEG and Yash’s Monster Mind Creations. Ranbir Kapoor plays Lord Rama, Sai Pallavi plays Sita, Yash plays Ravana, Ravie Dubey plays Lakshman and Sunny Deol plays Lord Hanuman. The first part arrives on November 5, 2026, and the second is planned for Diwali 2027.
The film is releasing in Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada and Malayalam, with a worldwide IMAX run. Sony Pictures is handling global distribution outside India, while Dharma Productions distributes in the Hindi-speaking market.
For anyone waiting on a non-Hindi version, the practical takeaway is simple: check local listings over the weekend. The logjam that held back shows is clearing, and the screens are now catching up to the demand.
Source: Hindustan Times