Advance booking crossed Rs 50 crore before release


Ramayana Part 1 walked into release day with serious money already in the bank. As of November 2, presales had crossed Rs 50 crore gross across India, according to reports based on trade tracking. Maharashtra led state wise pre-sales, followed by Delhi and Karnataka. That is a strong base for a film releasing on a Thursday, four days before Diwali on November 8, 2026.
The final advance was far bigger. Per Sacnilk via News18, advance booking closed at Rs 118.65 crore across India, with 32.53 lakh tickets sold as of 11pm IST on November 4. Day 1 advance alone passed Rs 50 crore gross, about Rs 43 crore net, with more than 14 lakh tickets across around 26,600 shows, occupancy near 23 percent, and 120 shows already full.
Worldwide advances are bigger still, reported past Rs 150 crore gross including overseas sales of around 5.6 million dollars. Whatever number you pick, the message is the same. Audiences booked early, and they booked in huge numbers.

What the trade expects on day 1


The trade does not agree on one number, and that disagreement is the story. Bollywood Hungama spoke to trade veterans ahead of release, and the consensus range for Hindi was Rs 60 to 70 crore, with Rs 100 crore across all languages. That is the headline prediction, but the individual calls spread much wider.
Trade veteran Taran Adarsh, who watched the film twice in 2D and 3D, is bullish. He called the advance booking very good and said spot bookings could add a big chunk. He also called it the highest pre-Diwali opener of all time.
Trade analyst Atul Mohan agreed with the consensus range. He told Bollywood Hungama it is possible for the film to earn Rs 60 to 70 crore, and pointed out that it is a Diwali release, when people go to cinemas. Distributor and exhibitor Raj Bansal predicted it will collect more than Rs 60 crore, though he does not expect the Rs 100 crore mark on day 1 itself. He sees that figure arriving around November 9 or 10, after Diwali.
Trade analyst Sumit Kadel is more cautious on Hindi, expecting Rs 55 to 60 crore net, and he called the pre-sales underwhelming, while adding that steep ticket prices could still push day 1 past Rs 60 crore.

The aggressive calls go far higher


Exhibitor Vishek Chauhan, owner of Roopbani Cinema in Purnia, Bihar, put the highest mainstream call on the table. He said the minimum number he is looking at is Rs 100 crore plus for day 1 in India, and that he is looking at anywhere between Rs 100 crore and Rs 125 crore. His logic rests on Yash. He argued that Yash's mere presence, and the fact that he is playing such a strong character, will ensure a Rs 40 crore collection on the day of release in the southern states.
Chennai based trade analyst Ramesh Bala went further still. He predicted an opening of around Rs 100 to 150 crore in India on day 1, largely contributed by current bookings. He said North India will contribute a large percentage, with Karnataka following second. Karnataka is a key market here, with Yash the reason.
NDTV found the same spread. Ramesh Bala told NDTV he expects around Rs 125 crore gross in India on day 1, Akshaye Rathi predicted over Rs 100 crore, and Komal Nahta put Hindi at around Rs 60 crore with all languages at Rs 100 crore or more. The middle of the pack sits at Rs 100 crore.

The cautious call says slow down


Not everyone is buying the Rs 100 crore day 1 story. Film business expert Girish Johar offered the most cautious estimate in the trade, predicting around Rs 50 crore in India on day 1. His reasoning is simple. The film releases on a Thursday, which is not a holiday in India or overseas, and it lands before Diwali rather than on it. He expects a slow start like Dhurandhar, with business peaking only after Diwali.
Johar also said he hopes the film opens to Rs 50 crore across languages in the domestic market and collects Rs 250 crore over its opening weekend. That is still a big number, just spread over more days. His call is a useful brake on the hype. If spot bookings stay soft and families wait for the Diwali weekend, his number could be the one that lands closest.

Morning shows report, and the benchmark still stands


The first real day 1 figures are now in, and they are a morning snapshot only, not a final total. Per Sacnilk, by 8am on opening day the film had taken Rs 5.44 crore net in India, Rs 6.42 crore gross, from just over 2,900 shows, up from Rs 3.66 crore net an hour earlier. Hindi led with Rs 4.09 crore, followed by Kannada at Rs 89 lakh, Telugu at Rs 35 lakh, Tamil at Rs 8 lakh and Malayalam at Rs 3 lakh. Trade estimates put the worldwide opening day at Rs 180 to 200 crore.
Every prediction gets measured against one film. Dhurandhar 2 earned Rs 102.55 crore in India on day 1, according to trade tracker Sacnilk. That is the record Ramayana is chasing, and it is the reason the Rs 100 crore line matters so much. Cross it on day 1 and Ramayana takes the crown. Miss it and the film still has Diwali to make its case.
The lifetime talk goes even bigger. Some trade voices have said Rs 2000 crore is possible over the film's full run, with Bollywood Hungama reporting that trade feels the film can collect Rs 2000 crore in its lifetime. That is a prediction, not a result, and it depends on the film holding up after the opening weekend. The reported budget is around Rs 4000 crore across both parts, though Sumit Kadel cites a reported Rs 2000 crore price tag for this instalment alone, so the stakes are enormous. A huge opening helps, but only strong legs turn a huge opening into a historic run.

What the trade is saying


Trade analyst Ramesh Bala, via News18, November 3, 2026: "I expect Ramayana to mint around Rs 100-150 crore on day one in India (largely contributed by current bookings). North India will contribute a large percentage of its box office collections, with Karnataka following second." Read the News18 report.
Film business expert Girish Johar, via News18, November 3, 2026: "It may have a slow start like Dhurandhar. Its business will peak only post-Diwali. I am predicting Rs 50 crore in India." Read the News18 report.

Sources and reporting

  1. News18 live blog — Nov 5, 2026 · Verifies the final advance of Rs 118.65 crore and 32.53 lakh tickets as of 11pm IST Nov 4, and the 7am morning figure of Rs 3.66 crore net
  2. Gulf News — Nov 5, 2026 · Verifies the 8am Sacnilk figure of Rs 5.44 crore net and Rs 6.42 crore gross, the Rs 180-200 crore worldwide opening estimate, and Sumit Kadel's Hindi Rs 55-60 crore call
  3. Bollywood Hungama — Nov 4, 2026 · Verifies the trade consensus of Rs 60-70 cr Hindi and Rs 100 cr all languages, plus Taran Adarsh, Atul Mohan, Raj Bansal and Vishek Chauhan predictions
  4. NDTV — Nov 5, 2026 · Verifies Ramesh Bala Rs 125 cr, Akshaye Rathi over Rs 100 cr, Komal Nahta Rs 60 cr Hindi, and the Dhurandhar 2 day 1 benchmark of Rs 102.55 cr