Ramayana has turned the post-Diwali week into its own record-breaking season. On its sixth day in theatres, Nitesh Tiwari’s epic was heading for roughly Rs 150 crore worldwide gross in a single day, according to Sacnilk’s tracking. That kind of weekday hold is unheard of for an Indian release, and it puts the film within touching distance of the Rs 1,000 crore club in its first week itself.
Here is the full picture: release details, the complete cast, the story so far, what critics said, day-wise box office numbers, and when the film is expected to arrive on OTT.
Release Date and Launch Details
Ramayana: Part 1 premiered at the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures in Los Angeles on 27 October 2026 and released worldwide on 5 November 2026, just ahead of Diwali. The film is in Hindi, with dubbed versions released across other Indian languages.
- Director: Nitesh Tiwari
- Producers: Namit Malhotra (Prime Focus Studios) and Yash (Monster Mind Creations), with DNEG handling the visual effects
- Music: Hans Zimmer and A. R. Rahman
- Screenplay: Shridhar Raghavan and Nitesh Tiwari, based on Valmiki’s Ramayana
- Runtime: 195 minutes in India, 166 minutes in the US, 208 minutes in the UK and Ireland
- Budget: around Rs 2,000 crore, making it the costliest Indian film ever mounted
The film opened across a massive screen count in India and overseas, with the extended Diwali holiday window doing the rest of the work.
Full Cast
The film carries one of the biggest ensembles ever assembled for an Indian movie:
- Ranbir Kapoor as Rama, in a dual role that also includes a cameo as Parashurama
- Yash as Ravana, with Sharad Kelkar dubbing the Hindi dialogues
- Sai Pallavi as Sita, with Ami Trivedi providing the Hindi voice
- Ravi Dubey as Lakshmana
- Sunny Deol as Hanuman in a cameo appearance
- Arun Govil as Dasharatha, a casting choice that delighted fans of the 1987 Ramayan TV series
- Anupam Kher as the voice of Jatayu
- Lara Dutta as Kaikeyi
- Kajal Aggarwal as Mandodari and Rakul Preet Singh as Shurpanakha
- Kunal Kapoor as Indra, Vivek Oberoi as Vidyutjihva, Shobana as Kaikasi
- Sheeba Chaddha as Manthara, Adinath Kothare as Bharata, Suhail Nayyar as Sugriva
- Indira Krishnan as Kaushalya, Sonal Jha as Sumitra, Sonia Balani as Urmila
Younger versions of Rama, Sita, Lakshmana, Bharata, Shurpanakha and Urmila are played by child artists, since Part 1 spends significant time on the princes’ early years.
Story Summary
Part 1 follows the early chapters of Valmiki’s epic: the birth and education of Rama and his brothers in Ayodhya, the defining contest at Mithila where Rama wins Sita’s hand, and the turn of events that sends Rama, Sita and Lakshmana into fourteen years of exile. The film builds toward Ravana’s entry into the story without giving away the confrontation everyone knows is coming.
The narration keeps the treatment devotional but grounded, with the VFX-heavy set pieces reserved for key moments like the breaking of Shiva’s bow and the flight of Jatayu. Yash’s Ravana enters late in the film, clearly setting up Part 2.
What Critics Are Saying
The reviews landed somewhere between praise for the scale and debate over the performances. On Rotten Tomatoes, 77% of 52 critic reviews are positive, with an average rating of 6.7 out of 10. Metacritic scored it 58 out of 100, which counts as “mixed or average” on its scale.
Some of the verdicts doing the rounds:
- Taran Adarsh (Bollywood Hungama): “Ramayana is not merely a film, It’s an Experience.”
- Shubhra Gupta (The Indian Express): “Ranbir Kapoor, Yash conjure up the perfect epic for this Kalyuga.”
- BBC News: “But the critical response so far has been mixed.”
- PostTrak audience surveys: 86% positive, with 75% saying they would definitely recommend the film.
Yash earned most of the acting praise, with Taran Adarsh commending Sai Pallavi for bringing “dignity and strength” to her “naturalistic performance”. Ranbir Kapoor’s take on Rama split critics, with some finding him restrained and others calling the restraint a deliberate choice.
Box Office Collection
Sacnilk’s day-wise tracking for the Hindi version shows the kind of run that records are made of:
- Day 1 (Thursday): Rs 47.50 crore Hindi net
- Day 2 (Friday): Rs 35.50 crore Hindi net
- Day 3 (Saturday): Rs 53.00 crore Hindi net
- Day 4 (Sunday): Rs 36.75 crore Hindi net
- Day 5 (Diwali Monday): Rs 87.25 crore Hindi net, the day’s record festive haul
- Day 6 (Tuesday): Rs 40 to 55 crore Hindi net projected, with Rs 29.95 crore already in by 2 PM as per Sacnilk live tracking
The worldwide numbers are just as strong. Sacnilk estimated 675+ crore worldwide in the first five days, split into 413.90 crore from India and 262 crore overseas. Day 6 was tracking toward roughly 150 crore worldwide gross (about 110 crore India gross and 35 to 40 crore overseas), which would take the six-day worldwide total close to Rs 825 crore.
A few records the film has already set, as per Sacnilk:
- First Indian film to register 100 crore-plus worldwide collections on six consecutive days
- First Indian film to sell more than one million tickets on BookMyShow for six days in a row
- Diwali Monday’s roughly 16.60 lakh BookMyShow sales is the highest single-day figure for an Indian film
- Hindi net stood at Rs 289.95 crore by Tuesday afternoon, needing about Rs 10 crore more to hit Rs 300 crore and match Jawan’s six-day pace
Overseas, the film posted the highest first Monday gross in North America with USD 1.37 million, beating Dhurandhar 2 even with a new Godzilla release in the market. Overseas figures remain preliminary and subject to revision.
OTT Release: Where to Watch
JioStar has confirmed that Ramayana: Part 1 will stream in India on JioHotstar after its theatrical run. The platform is using a pay-per-view model for the film rather than a standard subscription premiere, which means subscribers will likely pay a one-time fee to watch it.
No streaming date has been announced yet. Based on how long the film is holding in theatres, the OTT release is expected only after a long theatrical window, possibly four to eight weeks after release. Treat any specific date circulating online as unconfirmed until JioStar announces it.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Ramayana box office collection on day 6?
Day 6 was projected at around Rs 150 crore worldwide gross, with Rs 110 crore India gross and Rs 35 to 40 crore overseas, as per Sacnilk estimates. The Hindi version had collected Rs 289.95 crore net by Tuesday afternoon, putting the Rs 300 crore Hindi milestone within reach.
When is Ramayana OTT release date on JioHotstar?
JioHotstar has the streaming rights and will release the film on a pay-per-view model after the theatrical run. The date is not confirmed. Given the box office hold, an OTT arrival is expected only after a long theatrical window.
Who is in the Ramayana cast?
Ranbir Kapoor plays Rama, Yash plays Ravana, Sai Pallavi plays Sita, Ravi Dubey plays Lakshmana and Sunny Deol appears as Hanuman. Arun Govil, Lara Dutta, Anupam Kher, Kajal Aggarwal and Rakul Preet Singh feature in key supporting roles.
Is Ramayana getting positive reviews?
It is mixed to positive. Rotten Tomatoes sits at 77% from 52 reviews while Metacritic scored it 58 out of 100. Audiences are happier than critics, with PostTrak recording an 86% positive score.
