Ramayana Crosses Rs 1,000 Crore Worldwide in Eight Days, Third-Fastest Indian Film to the Mark

"Ramayana: Rise of a Legend," director Nitesh Tiwari's adaptation of the Hindu epic starring Ranbir Kapoor, Sai Pallavi and Yash, has crossed Rs 1,000 crore in worldwide gross box office receipts after eight days in theatres. Figures from trade tracker Sacnilk, cited by the Press Trust of India, India Today and Business Standard, put the film's worldwide gross at Rs 1,033.55 crore through Thursday, Nov. 12, with India contributing Rs 675.05 crore gross and overseas markets Rs 358.50 crore.

PTI reported that the film is the 11th Indian title to pass the Rs 1,000 crore mark globally, joining films such as "Dangal," "Baahubali 2," "Pushpa 2" and "Dhurandhar 2." The Hindustan Times reported it is the sixth Bollywood film to reach the milestone.

Makers confirm the milestone

The film's official account, The World of Ramayana, announced the milestone on social media on Friday, Nov. 13, according to Cinema Express. "From Bharat to the world, the journey continues. Thank you for all the love," the post read. Cinema Express noted that Sacnilk's figure of Rs 1,033.55 crore corroborated the makers' claim, and reported that the film is now the highest-grossing release of Kapoor's career, a record previously held by his 2023 film "Animal."

Third-fastest to Rs 1,000 crore

Reaching the mark in eight days makes "Ramayana" the third-fastest Indian film to do so, according to India Today, Business Standard and the Hindustan Times. Only "Pushpa 2: The Rule" and "Dhurandhar: The Revenge" got there faster, each in seven days. The Hindustan Times reported that "Baahubali 2" took 10 days, "RRR" 16 days and "KGF Chapter 2" 18 days, while Shah Rukh Khan's "Jawan" and "Pathaan" took 18 and 27 days respectively.

In India, the film's eight-day net collection stands at Rs 564.60 crore, according to Sacnilk figures reported by India Today. That total already exceeds the full domestic runs of "Pathaan" (Rs 544.28 crore) and "Animal" (Rs 556.36 crore), India Today reported. Outlook India noted that the film has yet to beat the lifetime India and worldwide totals of Ranveer Singh's "Dhurandhar 2."

A Diwali surge and a weekday hold

The film opened in theatres on Thursday, Nov. 5, with Rs 64.85 crore net in India, followed by Rs 48.05 crore on day two, Rs 69.80 crore on day three and Rs 56.15 crore on Diwali, the fourth day, according to the day-wise breakdown published by India Today. Collections then rose to Rs 107.50 crore net on Monday, day five, and Rs 94.10 crore on Tuesday, day six, before Rs 70.65 crore on Bhai Dooj, day seven. The Hindustan Times reported that the film set records for the best Monday and Tuesday in Indian cinema history during that stretch.

On Thursday, day eight, the film collected Rs 53.50 crore net across 24,042 shows, a 24.3% decline from the previous day, according to Outlook India. The Hindi version accounted for Rs 43 crore of that day's total, with the Kannada, Malayalam, Telugu and Tamil versions adding the rest. The Hindustan Times reported that the film had grossed more than Rs 100 crore worldwide on each of its first seven days, a run that ended on day eight.

Across the full eight days, the Hindi version has earned Rs 437 crore net, followed by Kannada at Rs 48.95 crore, Telugu at Rs 38.05 crore, Tamil at Rs 22.15 crore and Malayalam at Rs 18.45 crore, according to India Today and Business Standard.

Overseas performance

Sony Pictures distributed the film internationally on about 59,000 screens worldwide, the Hindustan Times reported, describing the release as almost six times the size of any major Indian release. The paper reported that opening-weekend overseas returns were below $25 million, but weekday business improved, bringing the international total to $38 million after eight days.

The Times of India reported strong results in Asian markets where versions of the epic are part of local culture. According to the paper, the film collected just under $1 million in a week in Thailand, about $900,000 in under a week in Malaysia and $150,000 over its opening weekend in Cambodia. It also reported about $100,000 from the film's Nov. 11 premiere in Indonesia and $350,000 in Vietnam, a market where the paper said most Indian releases struggle to cross $20,000. In Nepal, the Times of India reported, the film has collected NPR 12.80 crore in its extended opening week, making it the sixth-highest-grossing Indian film in the country.

Cast, production and sequel

The film stars Kapoor as Lord Rama, Sai Pallavi as Sita, Yash as Ravana and Ravie Dubey as Lakshman. It is produced by Namit Malhotra's Prime Focus Studios in collaboration with DNEG and Yash's Monster Mind Creations, PTI reported. The Times of India described it as the most expensive Indian film ever made, and Cinema Express reported that the two-part project was made on a budget of around Rs 4,000 crore.

"Ramayana: Rise of a Legend" is the first of two parts. The second film is scheduled for release on Diwali 2028, and India Today reported that it will also feature Sunny Deol as Lord Hanuman, a character introduced in the first film's post-credits scene.

Sources

• Press Trust of India
• India Today
• Hindustan Times
• Business Standard
• Outlook India
• The Times of India
• Cinema Express
• Lokmat Times