Ramayana film shows weak pre-sale figures in India despite popularity in the US

The film 'Ramayana', directed by Nitish Tiwari and starring Ranbir Kapoor, Sai Pallavi, and Yash, is generating significant global interest. Following its grand screening in Los Angeles, there has been a sharp increase in advance ticket sales in the international film market.

This project is considered very large-scale, making its strong position in the international market extremely important. The positive reaction received at the Los Angeles premiere has given the film's earnings in America the momentum that the creators had long anticipated.

Thanks to the initial response after the Los Angeles premiere, the pace of the film's promotion in foreign markets has doubled. According to Sacnilk, in just 24 hours, advance ticket sales in America increased from $631,000 to $800,000 (equivalent to approximately 6.6 crore rupees). This demonstrates a 27 percent growth, bringing in an additional $169,000 in just one day. This figure represents the largest single-day jump recorded since the start of advance sales in North America.

As a result of this new surge, 'Ramayana' is rapidly approaching the $1 million mark, which was previously reached by the film 'Animal' with Ranbir Kapoor during advance sales in North America. Although the film still has a way to reach this record, the response received immediately before its theatrical release is becoming a turning point for the picture.

At the premiere red carpet, held on October 27th in Los Angeles, were present the film's main actors and many celebrities. Initial reviews following the screening were highly positive. Audiences and critics praised the lavish sets, visual effects, and the actors' performances. Special attention is drawn to the character of Ravana, played by South Indian superstar Yash, whose presence on screen is very popular.

There are only six days left until the film's release in India, and advance sales rates across the country remain high. According to available data, 334 thousand tickets for 'Ramayana' have already been sold in India (of which 275 thousand exclude reserved seats). This has allowed the film to earn 17.13 crore rupees before the official release (14.28 crore rupees excluding reserved seats). Furthermore, 5.69 lakh tickets were booked after the application deadline at 6:00 AM. The highest demand for the film is observed in the Hindi region, but tickets for the Telugu and Kannada versions are also selling actively.

Nitish Tiwari's film is a two-part cinematic series based on the Indian mythological epic. In the first part, Ranbir Kapoor plays the role of Lord Rama, Sai Pallavi plays Mata Sita, and Yash plays Ravana. Additionally, Sunny Deol appears as Bajangbali Hanuman, and Ravi Dubey plays Lakshmana. The production of this grand film is handled by Namit Malhotra, who received technical support from Prime Focus and the Oscar-winning company DNEG. The film's musical score was created by two global giants—A.R. Rahman and Hans Zimmer, who jointly prepared the soundtrack and music for the picture.

Ahead of the Diwali festival, the blockbuster 'Ramayana' is expected this year, preparing for its release in the first phase. However, to create direct competition for 'Ramayana,' Akshay Kumar is entering the arena with his hit 'Mohra,' which will be re-released in cinemas.

The popular 90s action film 'Mohra,' starring stars such as Akshay Kumar, Raveena Tandon, and Sunil Shetty, will be shown in restored 4K format after 32 years. This was announced by Trimurti Films, which also shared a trailer for the film on its official YouTube channel. The creators noted that viewers will once again be able to see the action, thrilling moments, and songs that made this film unforgettable.

The film 'Mohra' was first released on July 1, 1994. Rajiv Rai directed the movie, and Gulshan Rai produced it. In the film, Sunil Shetty played Vishal Agnihotri, Raveena Tandon played Roma Singh, and Akshay Kumar portrayed Inspector Amar Saxena. In addition to the plot and action, the songs from 'Mohra' gained immense popularity.

Songs like 'Tu Chiz Bade Hai Must Must' and 'Tip Tip Barsa Paani' remain very well-known among the public even today. Among other compositions in the film, there were 'Na Kajre Ki Dhar,' 'Subha Se Lekar,' and 'Dil Har Koi.' The duo of Akshay Kumar and Raveena Tandon created a real sensation on screen in 'Mohra.'

'Mohra' became one of the biggest Hindi films of 1994. That year, it ranked second in box office collections among Indian films after Salman Khan's 'Hum Aapke Hain Koun.' The film's music score also achieved colossal success, with reports stating that over 800 thousand units of the soundtrack were sold.

Now, after 32 years, 'Mohra' is being released in an updated 4K format. This re-release is scheduled for the day after 'Ramayana,' which is November 6th.

The conflict between the films 'Mohra' and 'Ramayana' is a significant event. Although most viewers' attention will likely be focused on Ranbir's film, high ticket prices for 'Ramayana' are worrying many in advance. Furthermore, finding a suitable showtime might be difficult after the premiere.

Under these circumstances, people who cannot watch 'Ramayana' may turn to cinemas to see 'Mohra.' Since cinemas are expected to be crowded, the superhit Akshay may get a chance. Some viewers will also want to experience the wave created by the Akshay-Raveena pair in the 90s. It remains to be seen whether 'Ramayana' will spoil the re-release of 'Mohra' or not.

The film 'Ramayana', starring Ranbir Kapoor and Yash, is generating immense interest among viewers. Following the start of advance ticket sales for the Dasara festival, the pace of interest in the movie has gradually increased. Ten days before the official release, screenings became fully booked in many locations.

After Dasara, on October 20th, viewers were able to purchase tickets for 'Ramayana'. As soon as advance sales opened, many bought the desired tickets. However, disputes arose regarding prices during this period, as tickets cost 500–600 rupees in some places. Despite this, 'Ramayana' is showing impressive results.

How strong is 'Ramayana' in five days?

According to a report by Sakalilk, in five days, the film collected approximately 8.72 crore rupees solely from advance sales in India. About 200 thousand tickets have been sold. Initially, the Hindi version dominated the advance sales. Nevertheless, in the last two days, there has been an acceleration in sales for both the Kannada and Telugu versions. The share of the Hindi version in the total advance sales still accounts for about 87 percent.

The Kannada version started on about 100 screens and may soon approach the mark of 1 crore rupees. In some theaters, morning show attendance reached 72 percent. As for the Telugu version, it is currently running on only 10–15 screens, and its sales have barely exceeded 1 lakh rupees. It is expected that sales of other regional versions of 'Ramayana' will begin as the release date approaches.

According to the report, four fully booked shows have already taken place, two of which were Telugu and two were Hindi. However, considering the fullness of seats in theaters, the number of such shows could exceed a dozen.

Highest Demand in IMAX

Premium formats contribute the most significantly to the film's advance sales, especially IMAX and 4DX, where viewers show great interest. Although the share of IMAX in the total number of 'Ramayana' screenings in India is only about 3.8 percent, its contribution to advance revenue reached approximately 25 percent.

About 1.5 lakh tickets have been sold in regular shows, belonging to more than 4100 screenings, which averages about 35 tickets per screening. In comparison, over 23 thousand tickets have been sold in IMAX across about 140 screenings, with an average of about 170 tickets sold per screening. Thus, the sales speed in IMAX is approximately five times higher than in regular screenings.

It is particularly noteworthy that the average ticket price in IMAX is about 1095 rupees, whereas the average ticket price in regular shows is about 380 rupees. Despite this, demand for IMAX screenings remains very high. Furthermore, over 12 thousand tickets have been sold in various languages in premium formats such as 4DX, ICE, and Dolby Cinema.

Will 'Ramayana' break the record of 'Baahubali'? The film is scheduled for release on November 5th, and there is still time until then. As the release date approaches, even greater growth in ticket sales is expected. The question arises: will this become the biggest film in India in terms of advance sales? Currently, this record belongs to Rajamouli's 'Baahubali 2', which sold only 6.5 lakh tickets in the Hindi language.

Regarding the film 'Ramayana' itself, it was directed by Nitesh Tiwari, and its producer is Namit Malhotra from DNEG.