Stepping into theatres just ahead of the big Diwali weekend, Nitesh Tiwari's directorial venture 'Ramayana' has made a thunderous start at the box office, setting unprecedented new benchmarks. It has emerged as the biggest opening film in actor Ranbir Kapoor's entire career. Crafted on a massive budget and a gigantic scale, the mythological film immediately captured a strong grip on the ticket windows upon its release, although a slight dip in earnings was recorded on the second day. Despite this, the film maintained its momentum and crossed the coveted 100-crore mark in India within a span of just two days.
Stellar First Day Collection
The film kicked off its theatrical run with housefull shows across the country, raking in a net collection of 64.85 crore rupees in India on its opening day. Considering the massive budget and grand scale of the project, this figure might have seemed slightly lower than some expectations, yet it still stood firm as the fourth-biggest opening in Bollywood history. However, early morning shows on Friday did witness a minor slump and drop in earnings before picking up pace later.
Second Day Collections and Regional Breakdown
According to reports, by 11 PM on the second day, 'Ramayana' amassed a net collection of 48.05 crore rupees across 23,266 shows nationwide. Breaking down the earnings by language, the Hindi version brought in the highest share at 35.50 crore rupees. Additionally, the Kannada version contributed 5.15 crore rupees, the Telugu version added 4.75 crore rupees, and the Tamil version brought in 1.50 crore rupees. Meanwhile, the Malayalam version registered a business of 1.15 crore rupees.
Total Domestic and International Earnings
Following these additions, the total domestic net collection of 'Ramayana' has now climbed to 112.90 crore rupees, while its gross business across the country has touched 134.80 crore rupees. The film's charm is not limited to the domestic market alone, as it continues to shine brightly overseas. With an overseas collection of 35 crore rupees on the second day, its total international tally reached 85 crore rupees. Combining these numbers, the worldwide gross for the film crossed the 219.80 crore mark in just two days.
Comparison with Other Major Openers
On its very first day, the film outpaced several blockbuster hits. 'Ramayana' surpassed the opening day earnings of major films like 'Pathaan' (57 crore), 'Animal' (63 crore), and 'Drishyam 2' (62 crore). However, it fell short of breaking the all-time opening day record held by Ranveer Singh's 'Dhurandhar 2' (102 crore).
Production Details and Star Cast
The highly anticipated venture has been jointly produced by Namit Malhotra's Prime Focus Studios alongside DNEG and Yash's Monster Mind Creations. Made on a grand scale, the film is scheduled to be released in two parts. The first part arrived in theatres on November 5, and reports indicate that the second part will hit the big screen during Diwali in 2028. The star-studded cast features Ranbir Kapoor as Lord Rama, Sai Pallavi as Mata Sita, Yash as Ravana, and Ravi Dubey as Lakshmana. Other prominent actors including Lara Dutta, Arun Govil, Rakul Preet Singh, and Vivek Oberoi also play crucial roles. The combined production cost of both films is reported to be around 4000 crore rupees.
Intricate Set Designs and Making Costs
No stone was left unturned to make the sets of Nitesh Tiwari's 'Ramayana' look spectacular and divine. In a recent interview, art director Ramesh revealed that crafting Ravana's grand throne took an entire four months and cost approximately 1 crore rupees. The structure was first sculpted out of clay, reinforced with fiberglass, and finally embellished with 24-carat gold leaf plating. Furthermore, constructing Shurpanakha's chariot took three months, with a total cost amounting to around 1.5 crore rupees.
