Ramayana Part 1 opens to massive audience interest
The long-awaited Ramayana Part 1 has finally reached cinemas, and the response on its opening day suggests that the film could become one of the defining box-office stories of the year.
Directed by Nitesh Tiwari and led by Ranbir Kapoor, Sai Pallavi and Yash, the film arrives with an unusually high level of anticipation. The project has been in the public eye for years because of its scale, star cast and ambition to transform one of India’s most familiar epics into a modern global cinematic experience.
Early box-office tracking on Thursday showed a powerful start. Hindustan Times reported that the film had already crossed the ₹20 crore mark by noon and continued to build momentum through the day.
The opening is particularly significant because Ramayana Part 1 is not simply competing with other Hindi releases. It is attempting to establish itself as a large-scale Indian franchise with international ambitions.
Ranbir Kapoor takes on one of his biggest roles
For Ranbir Kapoor, the film represents a major departure from the romantic and contemporary characters that have defined several phases of his career.
Playing Lord Ram brings a different kind of responsibility. The character is deeply familiar to Indian audiences, and the expectations surrounding the portrayal are considerably higher than those attached to an ordinary fictional role.
The film has therefore been marketed not simply around Kapoor’s star power but around the larger world created by Tiwari and producer Namit Malhotra.
The challenge is straightforward but enormous: make a story that almost every Indian audience member already knows feel cinematic, emotional and fresh.
Yash emerges as a major attraction
Yash’s portrayal of Ravana has become one of the film’s biggest talking points.
The Kannada superstar enters a Hindi-language epic with a character that requires a strong screen presence. Early audience reactions have repeatedly highlighted the scale of his performance, particularly during the film’s dramatic sequences.
The pairing of Kapoor as Ram and Yash as Ravana has also helped the film generate interest beyond the traditional Hindi-speaking market.
That cross-industry appeal could become one of the film’s biggest commercial advantages as its theatrical run continues.
The film’s scale is central to its appeal
Several reviews published today have focused on the visual ambition of Ramayana Part 1.
The Times of India awarded the film 4.5 out of 5 and described it as a spectacle unlike anything Indian cinema has previously seen.
The Week also praised the film’s large-scale presentation, comparing its ambition with the visual scope associated with major international fantasy franchises.
That emphasis on scale is important because Ramayana is being presented as more than a conventional mythological film.
The filmmakers have attempted to create an expansive world that can work on the big screen while retaining the emotional and cultural familiarity of the source material.
Advance bookings created huge expectations
Before release, the film had already generated extraordinary demand through advance ticket sales.
Reports ahead of opening suggested worldwide pre-sales had crossed the ₹150 crore mark, establishing the film as one of the biggest theatrical launches of the year.
That level of advance interest placed considerable pressure on the opening day. A film with such expectations cannot rely solely on a strong first few shows; it must maintain momentum throughout the weekend and beyond.
The early numbers, however, indicate that the film has made a powerful start.
Critical response adds to the momentum
The initial reviews have largely been positive, although critics have also pointed to some limitations.
The Indian Express praised the film’s epic scale and performances while noting that its first half can feel slow.
The Week similarly highlighted the cast’s performances and the film’s ambition while raising questions about the musical treatment.
The mixed observations are unlikely to damage the film immediately. For a release of this size, audience response over the first weekend will ultimately matter more than individual reviews.
A bigger franchise is now taking shape
Ramayana Part 1 is designed as the beginning of a larger cinematic story rather than a standalone film.
The makers have already discussed the possibility of continuing the saga with a second part and potentially expanding the story further.
That makes the performance of the first film particularly important. A strong theatrical run would give the franchise greater commercial confidence and potentially strengthen its international ambitions.
For now, the immediate focus is on the opening weekend.
If Ramayana Part 1 maintains the momentum visible on its first day, Ranbir Kapoor and Yash could have one of the biggest Indian box-office successes of 2026 on their hands.
