Mumbai: The much-anticipated film Ramayana: Part One, featuring Ranbir Kapoor, Sai Pallavi and Yash, has crossed the ₹200-crore mark at the worldwide box office within its first two days. However, a sharp decline in domestic collections on Friday has placed the film’s first weekend performance under close scrutiny, particularly as expectations surrounding the big-budget production remain high.

According to box-office estimates reported by Sacnilk, the film collected approximately ₹221.05 crore worldwide up to November 6, 2026. India contributed ₹134.80 crore in gross collections, while overseas markets accounted for ₹86.25 crore. The figures indicate a strong opening, although the Friday decline has raised questions about how well the film can sustain its momentum over the weekend.

Strong opening followed by a Friday decline

Released in theatres on Thursday, November 5, Ramayana: Part One opened with an estimated India net collection of ₹64.85 crore across five languages. Its opening-day India gross stood at ₹77.50 crore, while the worldwide gross was estimated at ₹128.75 crore.

The film recorded a noticeable fall on its second day. On Friday, November 6, its India net collection declined to ₹48.05 crore, a drop of approximately 25.9 per cent compared with the opening day. The domestic gross for the day was estimated at ₹57.30 crore.

The Hindi version contributed ₹35.50 crore to Friday’s domestic net collection, making it the largest contributor among the language versions. The Kannada version collected an estimated ₹5.15 crore, followed by Telugu at ₹4.75 crore. Tamil and Malayalam contributed ₹1.50 crore and ₹1.15 crore respectively.

With the Friday earnings included, the film’s cumulative India net collection reached ₹112.90 crore in two days. Its worldwide gross crossed ₹221 crore during the same period. These figures underline the scale of its opening while highlighting the importance of maintaining audience interest beyond the initial release-day rush.

Saturday advance bookings offer some encouragement

The third day, Saturday, November 7, was expected to provide a clearer indication of the film’s ability to recover after Friday’s decline.

Advance-booking figures available early on Saturday suggested that demand had improved. Sacnilk had tracked approximately ₹46.82 crore in domestic advance bookings by 5 am IST. After excluding seats blocked by cinemas, the figure stood at around ₹40.44 crore.

For comparison, Friday’s advance bookings had closed at approximately ₹25.16 crore on the same basis. Bengaluru emerged as a leading market for Saturday advance sales, contributing around ₹5.89 crore after blocked seats were excluded.

The advance-booking numbers offered a positive early signal, but they were not a substitute for the final box-office collection. Walk-in ticket purchases, show occupancy and evening screenings would also influence the day’s total.

The weekend was particularly important because the film needed to demonstrate that its opening was not driven only by initial excitement and advance sales. A strong Saturday performance could help offset some of Friday’s decline and improve its prospects for the remainder of the first week.

Lakshmi Puja could affect Sunday collections

Sunday, November 8, presented a different challenge for the film. Lakshmi Puja falls in the evening, a period when cinemas would normally expect some of their busiest screenings.

Cinépolis India’s Ashish Misra told PTI before the release that families staying home for the festival could affect cinema attendance on Sunday. The timing of the celebrations could therefore influence evening footfalls, even if the film continued to attract audiences during the day.

The festival factor makes the weekend figures more difficult to interpret. A possible reduction in evening attendance would not necessarily indicate a loss of interest in the film. However, the final Sunday collection would remain important in assessing its performance during the opening weekend.

Trade publication Box Office India also identified Monday, November 9, as an important date to watch. The performance on that day could offer a better indication of whether the film can attract a wider audience after the initial holiday and weekend period.

₹1,000-crore expectations raise the stakes

Expectations surrounding Ramayana: Part One were high even before its theatrical release. The film’s scale, cast and connection with the widely known Indian epic had led to considerable discussion about its potential box-office performance.

Miraj Entertainment Chief Operating Officer Sameer Munshi had indicated before release that a ₹1,000-crore collection was within reach. His opening-day projection for the Indian market was ₹75 crore to ₹80 crore net, higher than the ₹64.85 crore estimated by Sacnilk for the film’s first day.

Exhibitor Vishek Chauhan reportedly suggested that the film could potentially reach ₹2,500 crore to ₹3,000 crore if it connected strongly with devotees. Such figures remain trade expectations rather than confirmed forecasts, and the film’s actual performance will depend on audience response over a longer theatrical run.

Trade analyst Taran Adarsh, who watched the film in both 2D and 3D formats, described its business prospects as strong and highlighted the exile sequence before the interval. He did not provide a specific box-office projection, while pointing to the potential contribution from audiences purchasing tickets at the cinema rather than through advance bookings.

Weekend performance will shape the film’s box-office outlook

The early numbers place Ramayana: Part One among the major box-office openings of the year, with its worldwide gross crossing ₹221 crore in just two days. However, the Friday decline shows why the first weekend remains important in determining whether the film can maintain its opening momentum.

Saturday’s final collection, followed by Sunday’s performance amid Lakshmi Puja celebrations, will provide a more complete picture of audience demand. Monday’s figures could then indicate whether the film is attracting viewers beyond the initial release-weekend audience.

For now, the ₹1,000-crore discussion remains an ambitious target rather than an established outcome. The film has made a substantial start, but its ability to sustain collections through the coming days will be central to determining how close it can come to the expectations surrounding its release.