Ramayana bounced back strongly on its third day in theatres, collecting Rs 69.80 crore net in India on Saturday. The figure, from early estimates by trade tracker Sacnilk, makes Saturday the best day of the film's run so far, after a dip on Friday.
The film opened on Thursday, 5 November, with Rs 64.85 crore net in India, then fell to Rs 48.05 crore on Friday. Saturday's collection was about 45 percent higher than Friday's, and it also crossed the opening day figure, showing that the Diwali weekend and positive word of mouth pulled audiences back.
With the third day added, the film's total domestic collection stands at Rs 182.70 crore net and Rs 218.25 crore gross. The Hindi version led Saturday's earnings with Rs 53 crore, followed by Kannada with Rs 6.30 crore, Telugu with Rs 6 crore, Tamil with Rs 2.50 crore and Malayalam with Rs 2 crore.
The film played across 23,696 shows on Saturday, recording an average collection of Rs 29,517 per show. Overseas, it earned Rs 60 crore on the third day, taking its total overseas gross to Rs 157.25 crore.
Worldwide total reaches Rs 375.50 crore
Adding the domestic and overseas figures, the film's worldwide gross now stands at Rs 375.50 crore after three days. The film is now closing in on the Rs 400 crore mark worldwide, a milestone it is expected to cross during the Diwali weekend itself.
The recovery on Saturday matters because the film had opened to huge expectations as one of the biggest Indian releases of the year. A Friday dip had raised questions, but the Saturday jump suggests the film has found its audience over the festive weekend.
Directed by Nitesh Tiwari and produced by Namit Malhotra, Ramayana: Part 1 is the first instalment of a two-part adaptation of the Indian epic. The film stars Ranbir Kapoor as Rama, Sai Pallavi as Sita, Yash as Ravana and Ravie Dubey as Lakshman.
Sunny Deol appears as Hanuman in a post-credit scene
Sunny Deol also features in the film as Lord Hanuman, appearing in a post-credit scene. His face is not shown in the scene, but his voice can be heard chanting "Jai Shri Ram". The actor urged audiences to watch the film and praised the cast, saying, "Every actor has done a wonderful job. I request you to watch the film. In fact, I am not requesting you, I am exercising my right because the film is really good. Go and watch it. Jai Shri Ram."
Anupam Kher has lent his voice to Jatayu, the divine bird who tries to rescue Sita after Ravana abducts her. The cast also features Arun Govil, Lara Dutta and Rakul Preet Singh.
The film's music has been composed by Hans Zimmer and A R Rahman, marking their first collaboration on an Indian film. The second part of the adaptation is planned for release in Diwali 2027.
Sunday will decide the opening weekend
All eyes are now on Sunday, Diwali day itself, which is traditionally the biggest day for festive releases. Advance sales for Sunday were already strong, and trade watchers expect the film to add another big day to its total.
If Sunday matches Saturday, the film will comfortably cross Rs 200 crore net in India within its first four days, and the worldwide total will move past Rs 400 crore. For now, the third day figures confirm that the epic has recovered from its Friday dip and is running strong into Diwali.
