Ramayana: Rise of a Legend is already testing a long-held Hindi-film calendar assumption: that the days just before Diwali are a weak launchpad. With the film due on Thursday, November 5, advance bookings have reached an estimated Rs 93.59 crore across six show dates, according to trade tracker Sacnilk. Excluding blocked seats, the figure is Rs 74.69 crore.
The advance window, day by day
Opening day is doing much of the work. Thursday has clocked Rs 38.27 crore gross, or Rs 32.41 crore without blocked seats. Friday follows with Rs 17.40 crore, or Rs 13.57 crore, and Saturday is slightly stronger at Rs 19.48 crore, or Rs 15.27 crore. Diwali Sunday and Monday are currently the softest: Rs 13.20 crore and Rs 5.25 crore gross, respectively.
- Day 1 (Thursday): Rs 38.27 cr gross, Rs 32.41 cr excluding blocked seats
- Friday: Rs 17.40 cr gross, Rs 13.57 cr excluding blocked seats
- Saturday: Rs 19.48 cr gross, Rs 15.27 cr excluding blocked seats
- Sunday: Rs 13.20 cr gross, Rs 9.71 cr excluding blocked seats
- Monday: Rs 5.25 cr gross, Rs 3.72 cr excluding blocked seats
Premium formats and 3D are working harder
Premium formats are a small part of the show count but an outsized part of the money. They have contributed Rs 5.60 crore gross, about 15% of Day 1 bookings, from just 390 shows. Within standard formats, 3D is running well ahead: Rs 22.78 crore gross against Rs 9.68 crore for 2D.
Hindi is the recommended screen
Language splits show the original Hindi version leading with 77% of Day 1 gross, or Rs 29.32 crore from 19,463 shows. That aligns with early reviews urging audiences to choose Hindi over dubbed versions; reports point to a shorter English runtime, some scenes missing, and AI-generated lip movements that have not impressed early viewers.
Karnataka sets the pace, overseas follows
State-wise, Karnataka leads Day 1 with Rs 6.86 crore gross, followed by Maharashtra at Rs 6.41 crore and Delhi at Rs 4.69 crore. Overseas, advance sales stand at USD 5.65 million across all show dates, with North America at USD 4.24 million, per Films Discourse.
The release window has also cleared up in India: Godzilla Minus Zero has moved from November 6 to November 20, leaving Ramayana an exclusive two-week run. The film was originally dated for Diwali, November 8, before being advanced to November 5. Whether the soft Sunday and Monday bookings pick up after release will decide if the early momentum becomes a truly historic opening.
Source: The Times of India