Nitesh Tiwari’s Ramayana arrived in theatres worldwide on Thursday, November 5, 2026, just ahead of Diwali, and the first set of opening-day numbers is in. The film, also billed as Ramayana: Rise of a Legend, stars Ranbir Kapoor as Rama, Sai Pallavi as Sita and Yash as Ravana.
This is a box-office and release report, not a review. We’ve kept spoilers out, and because day-one figures were revised through the day, we’ve been careful to say which numbers are early snapshots and which are the latest estimates.
Ramayana Part 1: Release Details At A Glance
- Release date: Thursday, November 5, 2026, worldwide, including IMAX and premium formats
- Runtime: 195 minutes (3 hours 15 minutes)
- Certificate: U, reportedly cleared by the CBFC on October 30 with no cuts
- Director: Nitesh Tiwari
- Producer: Namit Malhotra
- Music: A.R. Rahman and Hans Zimmer
- Cast: Ranbir Kapoor (Rama), Sai Pallavi (Sita), Yash (Ravana), Sunny Deol (Hanuman), Ravie Dubey (Lakshman)
Yash is also credited as a producer on the project, according to earlier reports, and Hollywood Reporter India notes that Part One stops well short of the war, covering Rama’s exile and Sita’s abduction.
Ramayana Day 1 Box Office Collection
The most-cited estimate comes from the trade tracker Sacnilk, as reported by ETV Bharat. It puts the film’s India net collection on day one at ₹64.85 crore across about 25,200 shows, with India gross at ₹77.50 crore. Overseas, the film is estimated at ₹50 crore gross, bringing the worldwide gross to roughly ₹127.50 crore.
An earlier snapshot reported by India TV News showed a lower figure, around ₹40.97 crore across 17,916 shows, with Hindi contributing ₹29.28 crore, Kannada ₹5.19 crore and Telugu ₹4 crore. That figure was captured while the day’s collections were still coming in, so it isn’t a conflict so much as a partial count. Use the later number as the better estimate, and expect further revisions once final figures settle.
One more caution: these are tracker estimates, not official studio numbers. Producers sometimes announce a different figure, and when they do, it’s worth updating.
How The Opening Stacks Up
Several things stand out about the start.
Advance booking carried it. Trade coverage reported worldwide advance sales passing ₹150 crore gross before release, with pre-sales for the opening weekend alone crossing ₹100 crore. Overseas advance bookings were also reported at more than $2 million.
It beat a recent benchmark. ETV Bharat noted that the opening-day net surpassed what Ranveer Singh’s Dhurandhar earned on its first day, which was around ₹28 crore.
It landed below one tracker’s forecast. Before release, Sacnilk’s own prediction page suggested a possible opening above ₹110 crore net in India across languages, including paid previews. The day-one estimate of ₹64.85 crore is well under that. Forecasts are guesses, and an opening this size is still a big number, but it’s a useful reminder not to treat pre-release projections as promises.
What Audiences Are Saying
Early audience reactions leaned strongly positive. Many viewers praised the film’s scale, visual effects and production design, and Ranbir Kapoor, Sai Pallavi and Yash were frequently singled out for their performances. The music by Rahman and Zimmer also drew a lot of praise, with several reactions saying it lifted the emotional and action sequences. Viewers specifically mentioned Yash’s scenes as Ravana and a Jatayu fight sequence.
Film industry voices joined in. Khaleej Times reported that Karan Johar called himself blown away and praised the leads, along with Ravie Dubey.
It wasn’t all praise. Coverage of the early X reactions noted that some viewers flagged minor shortcomings, though the overall tone was enthusiastic. As with any opening day, social media reactions tend to come from the most invested fans, so wait for full critic reviews and the weekend word of mouth before reading too much into them.
What Happens To Part 2
This is where reporting differs. The makers originally announced Diwali 2027 for the second part, and some pre-release coverage still repeats that. Later coverage says the sequel has reportedly been postponed to 2028, and ETV Bharat refers to Diwali 2028. India TV News says an exact release date hasn’t been announced. Until the makers confirm, treat both dates as unconfirmed.
Why This Opening Matters For The Industry
This section is analysis, not reporting. A mythological epic of this scale opening around the festive season shows that audiences will still turn out in large numbers for event cinema, especially when the story is familiar and the pitch is a big-screen experience. The multilingual release also matters, since reports show Hindi leading the numbers while Kannada and Telugu versions contribute meaningfully. If the weekend holds up, expect more producers to plan premium-format, multi-language releases around festivals.
What To Watch This Weekend
The first weekend is the real test. Day-one numbers reflect advance bookings and opening-day excitement, while the Friday-to-Sunday trend shows how word of mouth is holding up, especially with a 195-minute runtime that limits the number of daily shows. Diwali week should also keep footfalls high, though other releases will compete for screens.
If you’re planning to watch, a few practical notes. IMAX and premium formats are part of the release, the runtime is over three hours, and the U certificate means it’s open to all ages.
The Bottom Line
Ramayana Part 1 has made a strong start, with estimates of about ₹64.85 crore net in India and ₹127.50 crore worldwide on day one, positive early reactions and a high-profile cast and score. The numbers will move, the Part 2 date is still unclear, and the weekend will say more than day one.
