Ramayana: Part 1 arrived on Thursday, 5 November 2026, with the kind of build-up few Indian films ever get. Directed by Nitesh Tiwari, it stars Ranbir Kapoor as Rama, Sai Pallavi as Sita, Yash as Ravana, Ravie Dubey as Lakshman and Sunny Deol as Hanuman, with music by Hans Zimmer and AR Rahman. It opened in India and the US after paid previews the night before. Released internationally as Ramayana: Rise of a Legend, it ends with Sita’s abduction, leaving the rest for Part 2. Day 1 delivered packed theatres and divided reviews — and numbers that are trade estimates, differ between trackers, with the final Day 1 total now confirmed by Sacnilk.
The final numbers — and the 7pm snapshot
The confirmed Day 1 total, per Sacnilk, is India net Rs 64.85 crore and India gross Rs 77.50 crore, from 25,200 shows and about 25.25 lakh tickets. Hindi led with Rs 47.50 crore from 20,678 shows, followed by Kannada at Rs 7.25 crore, Telugu at Rs 6.00 crore, Tamil at Rs 2.60 crore and Malayalam at Rs 1.50 crore. Overseas and worldwide totals were not available from Sacnilk at the time of checking, so the Rs 77.50 crore figure is the India gross — not a worldwide total.
That final figure is worth reading against the evening snapshot. By 7pm, according to Times Now and India TV citing Sacnilk, the film was at Rs 49.24 crore net, with India gross at Rs 58.10 crore. Evening and night shows therefore added roughly Rs 15.6 crore net after 7pm. The 7pm number was a real, reported snapshot — but it was never the final total, and anyone who quoted it as the day’s result was quoting a film still playing.
Earlier in the day, the build was steady: an estimated India net of Rs 12.69 crore, or Rs 14.97 crore gross, by mid-morning across 6,796 shows, and Rs 32.81 crore net by 4pm. Hindi led at 7pm with Rs 35.99 crore, followed by Kannada at Rs 5.67 crore, Telugu at Rs 4.63 crore, Tamil at Rs 1.90 crore, and Malayalam at Rs 89 lakh — Hindi-led, but not Hindi-only.
The advance bookings — trackers disagree
The advance bookings were already a story of disagreement, and no figure is presented here as settled. Sacnilk’s final advance, via Filmverse, put India gross at Rs 130.12 crore for 36.37 lakh tickets, or Rs 105.12 crore excluding blocked seats. The Daily Pioneer reported opening-day advances of Rs 49.75 crore in India and USD 5.6 million overseas, with worldwide pre-sales past Rs 150 crore. Gulf News reported Day 1 pre-sales past Rs 50 crore gross, about Rs 43 crore net, for 14 lakh-plus tickets across 26,600 shows. NewsXphere’s own 4 November article had reported Rs 96.56 crore including blocked seats.
Pre-sales were large by any normal standard, yet trade analyst Sumit Kadel, quoted by Gulf News, expected a Hindi opening of Rs 55–60 crore net and called them underwhelming for a film of this size. In the end, Hindi finished Day 1 at Rs 47.50 crore net — below that expectation.
The verdict, in two halves
The Guardian’s Peter Bradshaw gave the film 4 out of 5, calling it “thoroughly engaging, rousing and spectacular” and comparing its imagery to The Lord of the Rings and The Lion King. Screen Rant gave it 7 out of 10, IndieWire a B, and Next Best Picture 5 out of 10. At the other end, IGN gave it 4 out of 10, faulting clunky action, CGI and AI-assisted lip-syncing, according to the Daily Pioneer.
IMDb showed 7.2 out of 10, while Rotten Tomatoes showed a Tomatometer of 45% at the time reported by Mathrubhumi on 5 November. Both are snapshots that will move.
Audiences praised Ranbir Kapoor as Rama and Yash as Ravana, while the music and pace drew criticism, according to the Daily Pioneer. SS Rajamouli and Atlee praised the scale, visuals and lead performances, according to Times Now and India TV. Rapper Badshah rated it “six on five”. The honest headline of Day 1 is that split: a film many people wanted to see, that some critics found spectacular, and others found uneven.
The money question
The budget is why the numbers need careful reading. The reported figure for this part is Rs 2,000 crore, and Rs 4,000 crore across the two films, according to the Daily Pioneer and Filmverse. Mathrubhumi cites USD 420 million as the highest ever for an Indian film. These are reported figures, not confirmed by the makers in the sources used here.
Trade projections for opening day were Rs 75–100 crore across languages, according to the Daily Pioneer, with some analysts projecting Rs 90–100 crore India net, and a projected worldwide opening of Rs 180–200 crore, according to Gulf News. The confirmed India net of Rs 64.85 crore sits below those projections — below the bottom of the Rs 75–100 crore opening-day range, and with Hindi at Rs 47.50 crore, below the Rs 55–60 crore Hindi expectation as well.
Lifetime estimates quoted in the Daily Pioneer ranged from Rs 1,000 crore to Rs 3,000 crore. That range is speculation, not forecasting. A reported Rs 2,000-crore budget raises the bar not just for a good opening, but for the whole run.
What to watch next
First, the weekend. Openings built on advance bookings can fade fast if word of mouth is mixed, and the split reviews make the Friday-to-Sunday hold the most important number of the week. A steady weekend would suggest audiences are carrying the film past the critics. A sharp drop would suggest the opposite. Sacnilk’s Day 2 advance, before release, was Rs 22.25 crore with blocked seats (Rs 17.35 crore without), from 5.76 lakh tickets — a strong hold signal, though trackers differ on the exact figure.
Second, Part 2. It was previously slated for Diwali 2027, as NewsXphere reported on 4 November. Mathrubhumi’s live blog on 5 November reports that producer Namit Malhotra has confirmed a postponement to 2028, and The Week now also reports that the sequel comes in Diwali 2028, saying fans will have to wait two years. With two sources now reporting it, the postponement is reported — but it is still not fully confirmed by the makers in the sources used here, so this article states it as reported, not as settled. If it holds, the wait between the two halves lengthens, and the pressure on Part 1 to keep the story alive grows.
Third, the ending itself. The film ends with Sita’s abduction, and Sunny Deol’s first look as Lord Hanuman appears in the post-credit scene — a clip of which has gone viral after leaking on X, according to India.com and The Week’s ending-explained piece.
Day 1, in short: packed houses, divided critics, and a confirmed Rs 64.85 crore net that is large by any normal standard and still below the projections for a film of this scale. Whether that adds up to enough is a question the weekend will answer better than the first day can.
What was Ramayana Part 1’s final Day 1 collection?
India net Rs 64.85 crore and India gross Rs 77.50 crore, per Sacnilk final figures, from 25,200 shows. Hindi contributed Rs 47.50 crore. The 7pm snapshot was Rs 49.24 crore net — the final total came after evening and night shows.
What did critics say about Ramayana Part 1?
Reviews were split: The Guardian gave 4/5, Screen Rant 7/10, IndieWire a B and Next Best Picture 5/10, while IGN gave 4/10. IMDb showed 7.2/10 and Rotten Tomatoes a 45% Tomatometer at the time reported.
When is Ramayana Part 2 coming?
It was previously slated for Diwali 2027. Mathrubhumi’s live blog and The Week now both report a postponement to Diwali 2028. That is reported, not fully confirmed by the makers.