Ramayana Part 1 Released Today: Rs 130 Crore Advance Bookings, First Reviews In — Day 1 Box Office Live

Ramayana Part 1 box office: Nitesh Tiwari's epic opened in cinemas across India and the world on Thursday, November 5, 2026, and the first hours felt more like a festival than a film release. Fans turned theatres into temples, praying before life-size cutouts of Ranbir Kapoor as Lord Ram.

Released internationally as Ramayana: Rise of a Legend, the film stars Ranbir Kapoor as Lord Ram, Sai Pallavi as Sita and Yash as Ravana, with Sunny Deol as Hanuman and Ravi Dubey as Lakshman. Music is by A. R. Rahman and Hans Zimmer, and the visual effects come from DNEG, the Oscar-winning company behind Dune and Interstellar. It is the most expensive film project India has ever attempted, with a reported combined budget of around Rs 4,000 crore for both parts.

Ramayana Part 1 Box Office: Rs 130 Crore Advance Bookings

Sacnilk's final advance-booking report puts the film at Rs 130.12 crore gross in India, with 36.37 lakh tickets sold across 26,615 shows. For Thursday alone, advance bookings were worth Rs 50.08 crore including blocked seats — Rs 42.96 crore without them — from 12.14 lakh tickets. Overseas, opening-weekend advance sales are approaching $3 million, with North America contributing $2.15 million.

Early live tracking put the film at Rs 3.66 crore net in India (Rs 4.32 crore gross) within the first hour, rising to Rs 5.44 crore net by 8 am. Trade estimates vary: analysts project first-day net collections in India of Rs 90–100 crore, with worldwide opening-day estimates of Rs 100–150 crore to Rs 180–200 crore. All are trade estimates, not confirmed collections.

For all the scale, the film is not rewriting the advance-booking record books: at the national multiplex chains it sold about 3.25 lakh tickets ahead of release, 12th on the all-time list, while Dhurandhar 2 tops it with 8.75 lakh. Trade analyst Sumit Kadel expects the Hindi version to open at Rs 55–60 crore net and called the pre-sales underwhelming for a film of this size, though steep ticket prices could push Day 1 past Rs 60 crore.

Ramayana Part 1 Reviews: What Critics and Audiences Are Saying

The first reviews are mixed to positive, with critics commending the film's technical craft — especially the visual effects — and the performances of its leads. The Guardian awarded the film four stars out of five, with critic Peter Bradshaw calling it rousing and hugely enjoyable and likening its sweeping imagery to The Lord of the Rings and The Lion King. Not every note has been positive: several reviewers have flagged weaknesses in the English-dubbed version.

On IMDb the film is rated 7.2 out of 10 in early voting, while the Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer stands at 45 per cent with reviews still coming in. Celebrity reactions have been effusive: Karan Johar praised Ranbir Kapoor as Lord Rama and Yash as Ravana, Vijay Deverakonda called it another giant leap for Indian cinema, and rapper Badshah said every frame is breathtaking and Jatayu steals the show.

On social media, Sai Pallavi has emerged as an early favourite — viewers say she seemed born to play Sita. At three hours and 15 minutes the film is long, but its U certificate from the CBFC opens it to family audiences over the Diwali weekend.

Ramayana Part 1: Cast, Story and Where It Is Showing

Ramayana: Part 1 is the first of a planned two-part adaptation of Valmiki's epic, directed by Nitesh Tiwari and produced by Namit Malhotra and Yash. It follows Prince Rama of Ayodhya through his marriage to Sita and the exile that sets up the conflict with Ravana, the demon king of Lanka. The second instalment, first planned for Diwali 2027, is now confirmed for Diwali 2028.

• Ranbir Kapoor as Lord Ram, Sai Pallavi as Sita and Yash as Ravana, in his Hindi film debut.
• Sunny Deol as Hanuman, Ravi Dubey as Lakshman, with Arun Govil and Lara Dutta in key roles.
• Released in six languages, in IMAX 3D and other premium large formats, on around 59,000 screens worldwide.

Ramayana Part 1: What to Watch Next

Three things will decide how big this opening is. First, the final Day 1 number, once evening and night shows are counted — the Hindi opening will be judged against the Rs 100 crore mark. Second, word of mouth over the Diwali weekend. Third, the overseas run, where the Middle East has not yet opened bookings and Ramayana has a clear run with Dhurandhar banned in the region.

The stakes are enormous: with a combined budget of around Rs 4,000 crore, Ramayana needs to become one of the biggest Indian films ever. The opening day will tell us whether it is on that path.