Big-budget Ramayana set for a slow start at theatres

Mumbai: Advance bookings in India for The Ramayana: Part 1, one of India’s most ambitious and expensive film franchises, are falling short of trade expectations, with analysts and distributors telling ET that ticket sales remain underwhelming despite its marquee cast, grand scale and blockbuster budgets.

Sacnilk data showed the film had grossed nearly ₹80 crore in advance bookings across India as of 5 pm on November 3, including block bookings, with actual ticket sales at around ₹64 crore and average theatre occupancy at just 14%. Trade analysts had estimated advance bookings of close to ₹200 crore given its budget range of ₹700-1,000 crore. In 2026, big-budget Hindi films such as Dhurandhar 2, Drishyam 3 and Border 2 recorded advance ticket collection in the range of ₹12-52 crore. The muted advance sales suggest audiences are adopting a wait-and-watch approach despite the film’s scale and star power, they said.

Distributors attributed the muted advance bookings largely to a lack of strong audience buzz around the film. “The widely quoted advance ticket sales figures are inflated. Bookings are much lower than that,” explained Shaaminder Malik, a distributor and film business expert. “Also, these figures are still below expectations given the film’s budget. High-ticket prices are also a dampener,” he added.

The film ticket price has been pegged in the range of ₹300-₹3,000 depending upon the screen format, shared analysts. The film is reported to be releasing on about 59,000 screens globally-9,000 screens in India and 50,000 screens outside India. In India, the film faces no competition for at least two weeks after its release.

“The Ramayana: Part 1 is a solo release. This is a big advantage. If the film connects with audiences, then it can work wonders,” observed producer Girish Johar. Three aspects of the film have fuelled debate and shaped pre-release audience sentiment, with its music emerging as a key concern. Film scholars said the soundtrack has failed to resonate with audiences.

“The Ramayana’s appeal lies in evoking bhakti rasa or a devotional mood through music. Not a single song from the film has really resonated with audiences,” observed Piyush Roy, dean, school of film, media & creative arts, RV University, Bangalore. “The makers could have used folk and bhakti songs from India’s rich tradition to evoke the Bhakti Rasa.” The film’s visual effects (VFX) have also come under scrutiny, with viewers raising questions about their quality and execution.
“Judging from its trailer, the film’s VFX quality does not reflect its huge budget. An epic like The Ramayana cannot rely entirely on VFX. Generally, audiences experience fatigue with VFX-heavy films,” said an editor requesting anonymity.