Years ago, producer Namit Malhotra claimed the two parts were being made for $500 million ( ₹ 4000 crore). More recent reports have claimed that Part 1 has a landing cost of ₹ 1600 crore (approximately $175 million). In fact, it needs to out-earn the likes of Dhurandhar 2 and Pushpa 2 just to be profitable. But if the opening day and weekend have indicated anything, it’s that the crown of Ranveer Singh ’s Dhurandhar 2 is secure.
It is the most expensive Indian film ever made. Ramayana ‘s exact budget, though, remains a mystery. Either way, Ramayana needs to make a ton of money to break even. And that is a curious thing. How did Ramayana, the story with the most universal appeal and devotional following, fail to unseat an A-rated violent spy thriller?
Dhurandhar: The Revenge arrived with unprecedented hype when it released this March. In fact, the first Dhurandhar was still playing in theatres when The Revenge released. Ramayana should have emulated these numbers, given its massive scale and wide overseas release. But sadly, Ramayana does not fall in that category. The timing of the release also mattered. The film’s nationalistic themes and slick production values also added to its appeal. Produced by Namit Malhotra’s Prime Focus Studios in collaboration with DNEG and Yash’s Monster Mind Creations, Ramayana is the first part of a duology. The film stars Ranbir Kapoor as Lord Rama, Sai Pallavi as Sita, Yash as Ravana, and Ravie Dubey as Lakshman.
The blockbuster success of part 1 meant that advance bookings for the sequel reached never-before-seen numbers. The Aditya Dhar film gave pan-India behemoths a run for their money, becoming the first Bollywood film to earn ₹ 100 crore in a day domestically and ₹ 200 crore worldwide. Yet, it had to settle for ₹ 65 crore in India and ₹ 128 crore worldwide. These are staggering numbers for any film without a ₹ 1600+ crore budget. The edge Dhurandhar 2 had was its appeal as a sequel to a revered film. Part 2 arrived just three months after Part 1. The first part released worldwide on November 5, while the second part is set for release on Diwali 2028.
The Nitesh Tiwari-directed film earned 36% less than Dhurandhar 2 on its opening day and 32% less over its first four days (including the extended weekend). The post-Diwali break is bound to diminish the gap, but unless word of mouth really kicks in, Ramayana may not be able to overtake Dhurandhar 2 any time soon. That means the film’s hope of breaching the ₹ 2000-crore mark may remain just a dream. Dhurandhar 2 missed that mark by about ₹ 150 crore. Ramayana would have to see a great surge overseas to beat Dhurandhar 2 there.
Over the last decade, Ranveer Singh and Ranbir Kapoor have been hyped up as the best – and most bankable – stars of their generation. Vicky Kaushal has attempted to enter the fray with Uri and Chhaava, but the larger conversation centres on Ranbir and Ranveer. With Animal, Ranbir seemed to pull ahead before Ranveer reigned supreme with the two Dhurandhars. Ramayana was being seen as Ranbir’s turn to stake the throne again, but it hasn’t quite panned out that way.
