Ramayana Advance Booking: Ranbir-Yash Epic Eyes Record Rs 75 Cr Opening
The Ramayana advance booking numbers are in, and they are nothing short of historic. With 12 days still to go before release, Ranbir Kapoor and Yash's mythological epic has already crossed 54,000 ticket pre-sales at national chains alone, and trade trackers are predicting a record-shattering Hindi opening of around Rs 75 crore. If the advance momentum holds, Nitesh Tiwari's two-part spectacle could rewrite the record books for the biggest Indian opening of all time. Here is everything the Ramayana advance booking frenzy tells us, plus a full look at the Diwali weekend box office scorecard featuring Udta Teer, Tu Hai Meri Kiran, Jailer 2 and more.
Ramayana Advance Booking Smashes Pre-Sale Records 12 Days Before Release
As reported by trade tracker Pinkvilla on October 23, Ramayana advance booking at the national chains stood at approximately 54,000 tickets by 1 PM on Friday — a full 12 days before the film's November 5 release. The breakdown is telling: around 46,000 tickets sold at PVR Inox and roughly 8,000 at Cinepolis. That pace, described by trade experts as superb, puts the film on course for one of the highest pre-sales of all time in Hindi, with a genuine shot at the No. 1 spot.
Here is what makes the number even more explosive: the advances had only opened at the national chains. Non-national chains, single screens and the South Indian markets had not opened their bookings at all as of October 23. Once full-fledged advances open across the country, the film is expected to see an instant rush at the ticket window. In other words, the 54,000-ticket figure is just the beginning.
According to Pinkvilla Predicts, the Ranbir Kapoor and Yash starrer is now looking at a Hindi opening in the range of Rs 68 to 78 crore nett, with a pinpoint prediction of Rs 75 crore nett. The widespread appreciation and acceptance of Trailer 2 has been credited as a major driver of the booking momentum. For context, an opening in that range would place Ramayana among the biggest Hindi openers ever — and that is before the South Indian and overseas markets are counted.
Ramayana Release Date, Cast, Story: Inside Nitesh Tiwari's Rs 4,000 Crore Epic
Ramayana: Part 1 is scheduled for a worldwide theatrical release on November 5, 2026, coinciding with the Diwali weekend. It is presented to international audiences under the title Ramayana: Rise of a Legend, with Sony Pictures handling the global campaign. Part 1 covers Rama's early life in Ayodhya, his marriage to Sita, the palace politics that force his 14-year exile, and Sita's abduction by Ravana — setting up the war that will continue in Part 2, planned for Diwali 2027.
The cast is arguably the most star-studded ensemble ever assembled for an Indian film. Ranbir Kapoor plays Lord Rama (also Parashurama and Vishnu), Sai Pallavi plays Sita, Yash plays Ravana in his Hindi film debut, Sunny Deol plays Hanuman, and Ravi Dubey makes his film debut as Lakshmana. The supporting cast includes Kunal Kapoor as Indra, Amitabh Bachchan as Jatayu, Kajal Aggarwal as Mandodari, Rakul Preet Singh as Shurpanakha, Lara Dutta as Kaikeyi, Arun Govil, Indira Krishnan, Sheeba Chaddha as Manthara, Mohit Raina as Lord Shiva, Raghav Juyal as Indrajit and Faisal Malik as Kumbhakarna.
Behind the camera, the pedigree is unmatched. Nitesh Tiwari, the filmmaker behind Dangal — still the highest-grossing Indian film worldwide at about Rs 2,024 crore — directs from a screenplay he co-wrote with Shridhar Raghavan. Namit Malhotra's Prime Focus Studios produces alongside Yash's Monster Mind Creations. The background score comes from Academy Award winner Hans Zimmer in his full-fledged debut Indian project, paired with A.R. Rahman on songs, while the visual effects are handled by DNEG, the Oscar-winning studio behind Dune, Interstellar, Inception and Oppenheimer. The film was shot on IMAX-certified cameras and is designed for IMAX and other premium large formats, with Hollywood stunt director Guy Norris and action director Terry Notary on board.
On the budget, Yash himself confirmed on Aap Ki Adalat that the much-discussed Rs 4,000 crore figure covers the two-part epic including its release and promotional costs — a global approach to budgeting, he explained, noting that Hollywood routinely spends as much on promotion as on the film itself. That makes Ramayana the most expensive Indian film ever made, and the clearest signal yet that Indian cinema is aiming for genuine global reach.
Ramayana Trailer 2: What the New International Cut Revealed
The second international trailer was unveiled on October 15 at a high-profile event in Bengaluru, hosted by Prime Focus Studios and Yash's Monster Mind Creations, attended by Ranbir Kapoor, Sai Pallavi, Yash, Ravi Dubey, A.R. Rahman and Nitesh Tiwari. Sony Pictures then dropped the trailer digitally in six languages — English, Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada and Malayalam — formally launching the film's global marketing campaign through its official channels, including the World of Ramayana YouTube channel.
The new cut leans hard into the confrontation the country has been waiting for: Ranbir Kapoor's Rama, a prince bound by sacrifice, against Yash's Ravana, the immortal king driven by vengeance. The Hindi version includes additional dialogue revealing Ravana's ambitions and the source of his powers, with his chilling line, "Before me, every head will bow." The trailer also features a stunning sequence of Ravana confronting Indra, the king of the gods played by Kunal Kapoor, who rides his celestial elephant Airavata before Ravana brings the animal crashing down — a showcase of the demon king's immense strength.
Around that central clash, the trailer parades the film's staggering canvas: the golden grandeur of Ayodhya in celebration and vast battlefield clashes rendered at a scale Indian cinema has never attempted. Alongside the trailer, the makers released new character posters — Ranbir Kapoor as Lord Rama poised with a bow in a forest setting, and Yash as Ravana amidst a battlefield with an imposing palace behind him. The message is clear: this is being positioned as a global cinematic event, not just a domestic release.
Weekend Box Office Scorecard: Udta Teer, Tu Hai Meri Kiran, Jailer 2 & More
While Ramayana advance booking dominates the trade conversation, the Diwali weekend itself saw four new Hindi releases battle it out — and one is already a confirmed disaster. Box office figures below are trade-tracker estimates, not studio-official numbers.
Udta Teer is the weekend's clear leader among the new releases. The Dharma Productions and Sikhya Entertainment spy comedy, directed by Aakash Kaushik in his directorial debut, opened at Rs 4.38 crore nett on Friday, October 23, and added roughly Rs 3.10 crore on Saturday per live estimates — taking its two-day India nett total to about Rs 7.48 crore. Ayushmann Khurrana plays Bilal, a Pakistani officer who enters India on a covert task but loses his memory in an accident — and mistakenly believes he is an Indian officer. Sara Ali Khan plays Yamini, with Rahul Bose, Ram Kapoor, Gulshan Grover, Brijendra Kala and the late Mukul Dev in supporting roles. Reviews describe it as an entertaining, light watch driven by the lead performances and situational humour, though the second half is considered uneven. It will need strong Sunday and Monday holds to convert its decent start into a success.
Tu Hai Meri Kiran, the Sonakshi Sinha and Zaheer Iqbal starrer, is a disaster on arrival. The supernatural romantic thriller, directed by Karan Rawal, minted just Rs 10 lakh nett on its opening day — lower than even the other small films released the same weekend. Trade experts note that such films with no anticipation and zero buzz are finding it hard to get traction in the post-2020 era, with audiences increasingly treating small films as OTT watches. With an opening this low, the weekend trajectory looks grim.
The other two weekend releases also started slowly: Pehla Pyaar Doosri Baar (Luv Films, debutante cast) opened at around Rs 50 lakh nett — double of Tum Mere Ho but still a low start that needs strong weekend growth — while Tum Mere Ho, starring Gurmeet Choudhary and Isha Malviya, opened at an estimated Rs 25 to 30 lakh nett.
Meanwhile, the holdovers continue to roar. Jailer 2 collected around Rs 14.76 crore nett on its second Saturday (Day 10), almost identical to the previous day's Rs 14.78 crore, taking its India nett total past Rs 351.73 crore — a rock-steady hold for Rajinikanth's blockbuster. Drishyam: The Conclusion added about Rs 1.34 crore on Day 23, pushing its cumulative India nett to Rs 364.64 crore while still running in over 3,300 shows. Prahaar: The Untold Story of Ujjwal Nikam crossed Rs 20.48 crore nett on Day 9, with advance bookings reportedly up 149% day-on-day.
| Film | Status | India Nett (est.) | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ramayana: Part 1 | 12 days to release | 54,000 advance tickets at national chains | Historic pre-sales; Rs 75 cr opening predicted |
| Udta Teer | Day 2 (live) | Rs 7.48 cr | Weekend's best new opener; needs Sunday hold |
| Pehla Pyaar Doosri Baar | Day 1 | Rs 50 lakh | Needs strong weekend growth |
| Tum Mere Ho | Day 1 | Rs 25–30 lakh | Dull start |
| Tu Hai Meri Kiran | Day 1 | Rs 10 lakh | Disaster on arrival |
| Jailer 2 | Day 10 (live) | Rs 351.73 cr | Rock-steady second weekend hold |
| Drishyam: The Conclusion | Day 23 (live) | Rs 364.64 cr | Still running strong in week four |
| Prahaar | Day 9 (live) | Rs 20.48 cr | Steady low run |
Related Coverage on Showbiz Daily
Catch up on our recent box office and Bollywood coverage: Drishyam 3 opened to a career-best day 1 with blockbuster reviews and a Rs 177 crore weekend storm; Tu Hai Meri Kiran's trailer breakdown and Karan Johar's 2028 slate from our October 6 Bollywood wrap; Jailer 2's day 6 box office collection as it crossed Rs 541 crore worldwide on Vijayadashami; and how Drishyam 3's massive weekend forced a Bollywood release shake-up.
The film has now premiered: read our Ramayana LA premiere first reactions — Yash steals the show.
FAQs
When is the Ramayana movie release date in 2026?
Ramayana: Part 1 is scheduled for a worldwide theatrical release on November 5, 2026, coinciding with the Diwali weekend, as announced by the makers. It is being presented internationally as Ramayana: Rise of a Legend.
What is the Ramayana advance booking opening day collection prediction?
Trade tracker Pinkvilla Predicts forecasts a Hindi opening of Rs 68 to 78 crore nett, with a pinpoint prediction of Rs 75 crore nett — which would rank among the highest Hindi openings of all time. The projection is based on the film crossing 54,000 advance ticket sales at national chains alone, 12 days before release.
Who plays Ravana in Ramayana?
Yash, the KGF star, plays Ravana in his Hindi film debut. Ranbir Kapoor plays Lord Rama, Sai Pallavi plays Sita, Sunny Deol plays Hanuman, Ravi Dubey plays Lakshmana, Kunal Kapoor plays Indra, and Amitabh Bachchan plays Jatayu.
What is the Ramayana movie budget?
Yash has confirmed a combined budget of Rs 4,000 crore for the two-part epic, including release and promotion costs — making it the most expensive Indian film ever made.
Where can I watch Ramayana trailer 2?
Ramayana Trailer 2 is available on the official World of Ramayana YouTube channel and Sony Pictures' channels in six languages: Hindi, English, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada and Malayalam.
When will Ramayana advance booking open in single screens and South India?
As of October 23, advances had only opened at national chains (PVR Inox and Cinepolis). Non-national chains, single screens and South Indian markets were yet to open bookings and are expected to add a big rush once full-fledged advances begin.