As Ramayana heads into its post-Diwali release, the trade conversation has already zeroed in on one number: Rs. 100 crore. That is the single-day benchmark Dhurandhar The Revenge set earlier this year, and it is now being discussed as Ramayana’s first target, with November 9, the day after the festival, the date being circled.
The record in the crosshair
Dhurandhar The Revenge collected Rs. 100 crore in a single day during its opening weekend earlier this year. Trade experts are now asking whether Ramayana can repeat that scale of business. Trade veteran Taran Adarsh kept the question open: “You never know. It boils down to the content and how honest they have been to Ramayana and the subject material.”
Trade analyst Atul Mohan framed it around audience response. “If word of mouth clicks, then the sky is the limit,” he said. “Then anything can happen and any number can be achieved.”
Why this record may be within reach
Vishek Chauhan, owner of Roopbani Cinema in Purnia, Bihar, said breaking Dhurandhar The Revenge’s record is the first target, but the two films arrive with different advantages. Dhurandhar had the biggest music in recent times. Ramayana has a story that does not need to be sold.
“Ramayana’s story is universally palatable, from North to South, East to West,” Chauhan said. “They don’t need to sell it. They just need to make it right.” If audiences come out saying “Mazaa aa gaya”, he predicted “mayhem in cinemas” that would be impossible to control. He added that everyone is effectively the target audience, from the age of 8 to 80.
The release-day catch
Distributor and exhibitor Raj Bansal said he had expected a Rs. 100 crore opening day when he assumed the film would release on a day after Diwali. He still sees the figure as possible on November 9, though not on the release day itself.
Bansal said he has already started receiving calls from people asking for tickets, a sign of genuine anticipation. His concern is marketing. While a Western push makes sense, he argued, the domestic campaign should not be ignored; it should have been on par with, if not stronger than, the Western marketing.
- Content honesty: Taran Adarsh says the film must live up to the subject material.
- Word of mouth: Atul Mohan sees it as the force that can take collections to any number.
- Home marketing: Raj Bansal wants the domestic push to match the Western campaign.
What to watch
For fans, the key window is November 9. The release day may not cross the mark, but the post-Diwali holiday is the moment trade expects the Rs. 100 crore single-day number could land. If early shows spark strong word of mouth, the prediction will quickly turn into a box-office chase.
Source: Bollywood Hungama