Namit Malhotra's Ramayana: Part One is finally witnessing a significant surge in advance bookings ahead of its November 5 theatrical release. The Nitesh Tiwari directorial has crossed Rs 100 crore in worldwide opening-weekend advance bookings, while its North American premiere ticket sales have moved past estimated benchmarks associated with seven major Indian blockbusters.With more than 50,000 tickets sold for its November 4 paid previews in the US, the Ranbir Kapoor and Yash-starrer is now closing in on Dhurandhar 2, the final major benchmark in its North American advance-booking comparison.The film's pre-release momentum has gathered pace over the past few days, with domestic bookings expanding across the extended opening weekend and overseas markets registering strong demand.
According to trade website Sacnilk, Ramayana has generated more than Rs 72 crore in domestic advance bookings, including blocked seats, for its opening weekend. Overseas pre-sales have contributed more than Rs 40 crore, taking the worldwide advance-booking gross beyond Rs 100 crore.The milestone comes just days before the film's theatrical release and provides an encouraging foundation for one of the year's most anticipated Indian films.
However, the final stretch of advance bookings will be crucial in determining how much further the film can climb before its opening day. Ramayana surpasses seven major benchmarks in North AmericaThe North American advance-booking race has become one of the most closely watched aspects of Ramayana's pre-release performance.
The film has moved past estimated US premiere-ticket benchmarks associated with Animal, Jawan, Pushpa 2, Pathaan, RRR, Baahubali 2 and Kalki 2898 AD.The latest numbers indicate that Ramayana has sold more than 51,000 tickets for its November 4 paid previews in the US. This places it just below the estimated 52,000-ticket benchmark associated with Dhurandhar 2, which reportedly generated around $14 million (Rs 132 crore) during its five-day North American opening, including previews.
The comparison is particularly interesting because the films involved represent some of Indian cinema's biggest overseas successes. Baahubali 2 and Kalki 2898 AD were among the strongest Telugu-film performers in North America, while Jawan and Pathaan demonstrated the growing overseas potential of Hindi blockbusters.
Dhurandhar 2, meanwhile, raised the bar with its reported $14 million North American opening.FilmNorth America opening grossEstimated US premiere-ticket benchmarkAnimal$6.5 million (3 days)24,000+Jawan$7.5 million (4 days)28,000+Pushpa 2$9.3 million (4 days)35,000Pathaan$9.5 million (5 days)35,000+RRR$9.5 million (3-day estimate)35,000+Baahubali 2$10.4 million (3 days)39,000+Kalki 2898 AD$10.8 million (5 days)40,000+RamayanaYet to release51,000+ tickets soldDhurandhar 2$14 million (5 days)52,000+Can Ramayana challenge Dhurandhar 2's $14 million opening?The North American advance-booking momentum has brought Ramayana into the conversation about one of the biggest openings for an Indian film in the territory. Trade projections suggest that the film could potentially deliver a five-day opening in the region of $13 million to $14 million.However, crossing the estimated 52,000-ticket premiere benchmark associated with Dhurandhar 2 would not automatically mean that Ramayana has beaten its actual opening-gross record.
The two figures measure different things, and the eventual box-office outcome will depend on ticket prices, attendance across the extended opening weekend and the film's performance after the paid previews.The distinction becomes clearer when examining the current distribution of ticket sales. More than 1.40 lakh tickets have reportedly been booked across the November 4-8 opening period in the US, with approximately 37 per cent concentrated on preview night.
The remaining sales are divided between Thursday's opening day and the subsequent three-day weekend. Preview night and Thursday together currently account for slightly more tickets than the entire Friday-to-Sunday period, indicating particularly strong demand for the earliest screenings.This concentration could work both for and against the film.
Higher-priced premiere screenings should help generate a strong opening-night gross, but a record extended opening will also require substantial turnout across the following days.Ramayana worldwide advance booking crosses Rs 100 croreThe domestic advance-booking performance has also gathered momentum, with additional screenings and cinemas coming online ahead of the November 5 release.According to Sacnilk, the film has accumulated more than Rs 58 crore (without blocked tickets - Rs 72.6 crore with block tickets) in domestic advance gross for its first three days, from Thursday to Saturday. Including Sunday bookings, the domestic total has moved beyond Rs 60 crore gross, including blocked seats.Overseas markets have contributed more than Rs 40 crore to the opening-weekend advance total, taking the worldwide figure past Rs 100 crore.Ramayana worldwide opening-weekend advance bookingThe opening-day pre-sales alone have crossed Rs 50 crore gross worldwide.
North America remains the biggest overseas contributor, with paid previews scheduled for November 4 already generating more than $1.20 million. Total US pre-sales through the opening weekend are around $3 million.Australia, the United Kingdom and other international territories are contributing to the growing total.
Trade projections suggest that the film could target a $20 million-plus overseas opening weekend, with the potential to reach $25 million if the remaining territories deliver strongly.Advance booking periodGross collectionIndia (November 5–7)Rs 58+ croreIndia (including Sunday)Rs 60+ croreOverseasadvertisementRs 40+ croreWorldwideRs 100+ croreThe biggest advantage for Ramayana is that its advance-booking momentum is developing across multiple days rather than remaining concentrated entirely on the opening day. Saturday has witnessed particularly strong growth as additional screenings become available, indicating that demand is spreading beyond the initial opening-day rush.However, the Diwali calendar presents an unusual challenge, with pre-festival activities potentially affecting attendance before the major holiday boost.
The final two days of bookings, additional single-screen participation and demand for premium formats will now determine how much further the pre-release total can climb.Ramayana's global box-office ambitionProduced by Namit Malhotra, Ramayana: Part One stars Ranbir Kapoor as Rama, Sai Pallavi as Godess Sita and Yash as Ravana. The film also features Sunny Deol, Ravi Dubey, Lara Dutta, Arun Govil and Vivek Oberoi in key roles.The first part of the planned two-film adaptation is scheduled to release on November 5, with the second part expected in 2027.
The reported Rs 4,000 crore budget for the two-part saga has made its commercial prospects a major talking point even before its theatrical debut.The film's advance-booking performance suggests that it is building a substantial opening across domestic and overseas markets. Whether that momentum translates into a landmark theatrical run will depend on audience reception, word of mouth and the film's ability to sustain demand beyond its initial screenings.For now, Ramayana has crossed the Rs 100 crore worldwide opening-weekend advance-booking milestone and moved past seven major Indian blockbusters in its North American premiere-ticket comparison.
With Dhurandhar 2's estimated 52,000-ticket benchmark within reach, the final phase of advance bookings has become particularly significant ahead of its November 5 release.- Ends