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EYE ON BOLLYWOOD JULY 03, 2026 | The Indian Eye 42

Can ‘Ramayana’ Rewrite

Indian Box Office History?

With a star-studded cast, unprecedented scale and a story deeply rooted in Indian culture,
Nitesh Tiwari’s epic could become the biggest Indian film ever made.

OUR BUREAU gal” showed that Indian audiences
are willing to support large-scale cin-
Mumbai
ematic events when storytelling, emo-
ndian cinema has always been tion and spectacle come together.
drawn to mythology, but few At the same time, audiences
Iprojects have generated the kind have become increasingly demand-
of anticipation surrounding Nitesh ing when it comes to adaptations
Tiwari’s upcoming epic “Ramayana.” of revered cultural texts. Chauhan
Even before its release, the two-part pointed to “Adipurush” as an exam-
saga is being spoken of as a potential ple. Despite generating significant
record-breaker capable of surpassing pre-release excitement and a strong
some of the biggest commercial suc- opening, the film struggled to main-
cesses in Indian film history. tain momentum because many view-
The expectations are enormous. ers felt it failed to connect emotion-
The film stars Ranbir Kapoor as ally with the source material.
Lord Rama, Sai Pallavi as Sita, Yash “It just has to land properly and
as Ravana, Sunny Deol as Hanuman connect with the audience. Like Adi-
and Ravie Dubey as Lakshman. Pro- purush couldn’t connect with people.
duced by Namit Malhotra’s Prime It missed the mark,” Chauhan said.
Focus Studios and DNEG, the proj- Yet even that experience rein-
ect is reportedly being mounted on a forces his optimism. “But still, it had
combined budget of around Rs 4,000 an amazing opening,” he noted, ar-
crore, making it one of the most am- The film stars Ranbir Kapoor as Lord Rama, Sai Pallavi as Sita, Yash as Ravana, Sunny Deol guing that the appetite for stories
bitious productions ever attempted from the Ramayana remains enor-
in Indian cinema. as Hanuman and Ravie Dubey as Lakshman mous.
The first installment is scheduled The filmmakers appear aware of
for release during the Diwali holiday the film will break records,” Chau- become the film’s greatest strength. those expectations. Dubey stressed
season on November 6, 2026, while han said. Actor Ravie Dubey, who plays that the project is being approached
the second part is expected to arrive His confidence stems from more Lakshman, highlighted the deep with sincerity rather than simply
a year later. Adding to the scale of than just the cast. He believes the bond between the epic and Indian commercial ambition.
the project is a music score by Os- story itself gives the film an advan- society. “Bharat aur Ramayana ek “We are making the film with
car-winning composer Hans Zimmer tage few productions can match. dusre se alag nahi hai... they are one,” faith. You wait with faith,” he said.
alongside A.R. Rahman, a collabora- “And if that film is able to land, he said while discussing the project. Ultimately, the box-office fate of
tion that has further heightened au- you’ll see that it will smash Dhu- Dubey described the Ramayana as “Ramayana” may depend on a simple
dience curiosity. randhar’s record. The range of that India’s heritage and said the film- question: can it combine technolog-
Trade analyst and exhibitor film is crazy. People will come to the makers are striving to do justice to ical excellence with emotional au-
Vishek Chauhan believes the film cinemas from everywhere, even from the material. “Yeh hamara itihaas thenticity?
possesses all the ingredients needed villages,” he added. hai, darohar hai... and the more we If it succeeds, the film could
to achieve unprecedented box-of- The potential audience for “Ra- can work on it, the more we will try attract family audiences, religious
fice success. Speaking about the mayana” is unusually broad. Unlike to do justice to it within our abilities. viewers, young moviegoers and inter-
phenomenal performance of Adi- many modern blockbusters that pri- It has been an amazing experience,” national Indian diaspora communi-
tya Dhar’s “Dhurandhar” franchise, marily target urban multiplex view- he said. ties on a scale rarely seen before. The
which reportedly grossed more than ers, the story of Rama, Sita, Laksh- The challenge, however, is not combination of cultural resonance,
Rs 3,300 crore worldwide, Chauhan man and Hanuman is familiar across simply attracting viewers but meet- star power, visual spectacle and na-
argued that “Ramayana” could go generations, regions and languages. ing their expectations. tionwide appeal gives it a unique
even further. The Ramayana is not merely a lit- Recent history offers both en- opportunity to transcend traditional
“The buzz is very good, it is a sub- erary work; it is one of the founda- couragement and caution. Mytho- box-office boundaries.
ject very close to people’s hearts. The tional narratives of Indian civiliza- logical and historical spectacles have As Chauhan put it, “Sky is the
way Ranbir is looking and the kind tion, retold through television serials, demonstrated enormous commer- limit with Ramayana.”
of star cast the film has – including theatre, folk traditions and religious cial potential in India. Films such For Indian cinema, that may
Sunny Deol, Yash, the director is festivals for decades. as “Baahubali 2: The Conclusion,” prove less a prediction than a possi-
also good. So, I have no doubt that That cultural connection could “RRR,” “Kalki 2898 AD” and “Dan- bility.

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