Ramayana: Part One had a strong second Saturday at the box office. After a dip on its second Friday, Nitesh Tiwari’s film collected an estimated Rs 72.90 crore net in India on Day 10, up about 52% from Day 9, according to early figures from trade tracker Sacnilk reported by the Free Press Journal.
The film, starring Ranbir Kapoor as Ram, Sai Pallavi as Sita and Yash as Ravana, released worldwide on 5 November. With the second weekend under way, its estimated India net total now stands at about Rs 685.60 crore.
Day 10 numbers at a glance
All figures below are Sacnilk estimates and may change once final numbers come in.
- Day 9 (Friday, 13 November): Rs 48.10 crore net
- Day 10 (Saturday, 14 November): Rs 72.90 crore net across 23,451 shows
- India net total (10 days): Rs 685.60 crore
- India gross: Rs 819.50 crore
- Overseas gross: Rs 408.50 crore, including about Rs 30 crore on Day 10
- Worldwide gross: about Rs 1,228 crore
Early estimates differ between outlets. India TV, using live Sacnilk data on Saturday evening, had Day 10 at around Rs 50.5 crore before the night shows were counted. The higher figure above is from the updated Sunday morning estimate.
Hindi still does the heavy lifting
Most of the money continues to come from the Hindi version. On Day 10 it brought in about Rs 53.75 crore from 18,557 shows. The dubbed versions together added close to Rs 19 crore:
- Kannada: Rs 5.40 crore
- Malayalam: Rs 4.75 crore
- Tamil: Rs 4.75 crore
- Telugu: Rs 4.25 crore
Kannada leading the dubbed versions is not surprising, given Yash’s large fan base in Karnataka. Malayalam and Tamil numbers matching each other is a decent sign for a Hindi film in the south.
How the first week went
The film had a big opening weekend and kept going through the week. By the end of Day 8, the India net stood at about Rs 564.60 crore, with Day 8 alone bringing in Rs 53.50 crore, according to Sacnilk figures cited by Outlook. That was a drop of around 24% from Day 7, a normal fall as the working week sets in.
Outlook also reported that the worldwide gross passed Rs 1,000 crore within eight days. India TV put the Day 9 worldwide gross at around Rs 1,111 crore. Going by these estimates from different outlets, the film added roughly Rs 78 crore worldwide on Day 9 and about Rs 117 crore on Day 10. Treat these as rough estimates, since the outlets do not all use the same cut-off times.
The budget question
The two-part Ramayana is one of the most expensive Indian productions ever. Its combined budget has been reported at about Rs 4,000 crore, with roughly half of that for Part One. These are reported figures, not audited ones.
That is why a Rs 1,200 crore worldwide gross, impressive as it is, does not settle whether the film is profitable. Gross collections include taxes, and producers take home only a share of the net after theatres and distributors are paid. Satellite, streaming and music rights will add to revenue later. As the Free Press Journal noted, profitability is not yet established.
What to expect next
Sunday, Day 11, should be the film’s best day of the second weekend if the usual pattern holds. After that the real test begins. Weekday holds in the second week will show how long the film can run.
Competition is also on its way. New releases arrive on 20 November, including the Dhanush and Mammootty film OM and the Suniel Shetty drama Nanhey Dil, so screens will have to be shared.
For now, Ramayana: Part One is well placed to become one of the biggest Hindi films ever at the domestic box office. Whether it gets there will depend on the next ten days.
Reporting based on box office estimates from Sacnilk, as reported by the Free Press Journal, India TV and Outlook.
Featured image: ClemRutter, via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)
