Nitesh Tiwari’s Ramayana is in theatres today, and the first reviews are in. The film was set for a November 5 release and had already drawn positive buzz.
On Day 1 by 2 pm, Ramayana is running across 13,010 shows and has collected Rs 26.44 crore net in India so far. The Hindi version leads the race with Rs 19.27 crore from 10,661 shows. The Kannada version follows at Rs 3.22 crore from 670 shows.
The Telugu, Tamil and Malayalam versions so far earned Rs 2.53 crore from 927 shows, Rs 97 lakh from 481 shows, and Rs 45 lakh from 271 shows respectively. This takes the film’s total India gross collection to Rs 31.20 crore, while the India net stands at Rs 26.44 crore.
Bollywood actor Sunny Deol, who plays Lord Hanuman, makes a powerful entry in the post-credit scene, which has now gone viral on social media. In the viral clip, Lord Hanuman is seen entering the frame while powerful BGM plays. However, his face was not shown. The clip concludes with a wider shot of Hanuman in the air as he hails Shri Ram. Ramayana: Part 2 is expected to feature a full glimpse of Sunny Deol as Lord Hanuman.
Trade analysts have been generous, awarding a full 5 stars and calling it an experience that makes India proud.
Viewers from October 27 Los Angeles preview gave mixed responses as some praised Ranbir Kapoor and Yash, but some questioned the music, the emotional depth and the second half. Another media outlet summed up the social media response as breathtaking visuals, emotionally flat and music that backfires. A third media house also reported that early viewers compared the film’s scale to The Lord of the Rings and highlighted Ranbir’s calm intensity and Yash’s towering presence.
With $1.65 million in premiere advance sales, Ramayana: Part 1 has secured the second spot on the all-time list of highest premiere pre-sales for Bollywood films in North America, trailing only Dhurandhar 2 which made $2 million in gross premiere sales.
The music is credited to AR Rahman and Hans Zimmer. Critics are largely agreed on the visuals, while the music and emotional impact remain the points of disagreement.