Rs 155 crore worldwide opening for Ramayana, biggest pre-Diwali Day 1 for India
Ramayana has recorded the biggest worldwide opening for an Indian film released during the traditionally difficult pre-Diwali period. Directed by Nitesh Tiwari, the mythological epic collected Rs 155 crore gross worldwide on its first day, according to the makers, after arriving in cinemas on November 5 amid strong advance bookings and considerable anticipation.
The film earned Rs 64.85 crore nett in India and delivered the second-biggest opening among Hindi films released in 2026. Positive reviews and encouraging audience feedback accompanied its release. Attention will now turn to whether it can sustain the momentum through the extended festive weekend.
The pre-Diwali period is usually considered a challenging window for theatrical releases. Families are often busy cleaning, renovating and decorating their homes, shopping for the festival or travelling ahead of the holidays, leaving less time for cinema visits.
Before Ramayana, the highest opening recorded by a film during this period was Rs 40 crore nett in India and Rs 94 crore gross worldwide. With a worldwide opening of Rs 155 crore, Ramayana comfortably surpassed that benchmark. View this post on Instagram A post shared by The World Of Ramayana (@worldoframayana)
According to trade-tracking portal Sacnilk, Ramayana earned Rs 64.85 crore nett in India on its first day. It was screened across 25,200 shows in several languages, with the Hindi version contributing the largest share. Its India gross collection stood at Rs 77.50 crore.
The Hindi version earned Rs 47.50 crore from 20,678 shows. The Kannada version collected Rs 7.25 crore from 1,197 shows, while the Telugu version made Rs 6 crore from 1,776 shows. The Tamil version added Rs 2.60 crore, and the Malayalam version collected Rs 1.50 crore from 557 shows.
Early estimates did not include confirmed figures from overseas markets and suggested that international collections could add between Rs 20 crore and Rs 40 crore. The worldwide opening-day gross was subsequently placed at Rs 155 crore.Second-biggest Bollywood opening of 2026
Ramayana opened ahead of Dhurandhar, Shah Rukh Khan's Pathaan and Ranbir Kapoor's Animal. Among Bollywood releases in 2026, its India nett collection of Rs 64.85 crore across languages placed it behind only Dhurandhar: The Revenge, which earned Rs 102.55 crore on its opening day.
Drishyam 3: The Conclusion is third among the year's biggest Bollywood openings with Rs 62 crore, followed by Border 2 at Rs 30 crore and Mirzapur: The Movie at Rs 25.75 crore. Dhurandhar: The Revenge recorded a worldwide opening of about Rs 236.63 crore, including paid previews, after securing more than Rs 50 crore in opening-day advance bookings before previews were counted.
Ramayana's first-day India nett collection remained below that of Adipurush. The Prabhas-starrer, released in 2023, earned Rs 86.75 crore across languages on its opening day, led by its Telugu version and followed by Hindi. Shah Rukh Khan's Jawan opened at Rs 75 crore nett, while Yash's Toxic collected more than Rs 100 crore across languages before its box-office performance declined.Focus shifts to the extended weekend
The next test for Ramayana is whether it can sustain its opening momentum through the extended weekend. Adipurush and Toxic recorded sharp declines in collections from their second day, while Ramayana has so far received favourable word of mouth and encouraging audience feedback.
Diwali falls on Sunday, when evening collections could be affected by Laxmi Puja. The holiday period and favourable word of mouth could support Monday's business, though audiences may also spread their cinema visits across the extended festive period.advertisementThe first chapter of a two-part adaptationRamayana: Part One is produced by Namit Malhotra's Prime Focus Studios in collaboration with Yash's Monster Mind Creations. The wider cast includes Sunny Deol, Arun Govil, Lara Dutta, Shobana and Vivek Oberoi. The music has been composed by AR Rahman and Hans Zimmer.
The second instalment is expected to arrive during Diwali 2028. The two films have a reported combined production budget of Rs 4,000 crore.- EndsALSO READ | Ravie Dubey's Lakshman: The heart, humour and fire of Ramayana
