Ramayana: Part One opens worldwide as first reviews praise its scale and score
Nitesh Tiwari's Ramayana: Part One, starring Ranbir Kapoor, Sai Pallavi and Yash, has opened in cinemas worldwide on 5 November, with early reviewers praising its visuals, background score and performances.
The first instalment of Ramayana, the long-awaited screen adaptation of the ancient Indian epic, has opened in cinemas around the world on 5 November 2026, after a build-up that made it one of the most closely watched Indian releases of the year.
Directed by Nitesh Tiwari, known for Dangal and Chhichhore, and produced by Namit Malhotra and Yash, the film stars Ranbir Kapoor as Lord Ram, Sai Pallavi as Goddess Sita and Yash as Ravana, with Ravie Dubey as Lakshman. It has released in Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada and Malayalam, with an English version also listed.
The scale of the production has been central to its marketing. The music pairs Indian composer A. R. Rahman with Hollywood composer Hans Zimmer, while visual effects come from the Oscar-winning company DNEG, and the film has been presented as a global-scale retelling of a story rooted in India's cultural consciousness.
First reactions began appearing within hours of the opening, and the early tone has been warm. Rapper Badshah, who watched the film in Mumbai, described it as breathtaking, writing that every frame was beautiful, that the characters felt real, and that the film moved him to tears despite the story being known since childhood.
Badshah singled out the background score, calling it incredible, and praised the performances across the cast, naming Ranbir Kapoor, Sai Pallavi, Ravi Dubey, Yash, Lara Dutta and Arun Govil. He highlighted the Jatayu sequence as insane and urged audiences to watch out for the moment when the dharti amber theme arrives.
A review published by Oneindia on the morning of release struck a similar note on the film's craft while adding a qualification. It praised the spectacular visuals, grand scale and the music of Rahman and Zimmer, noting that the background score elevates the emotional and action sequences considerably, even though the reviewer was less impressed by the songs themselves.
The same review noted a distinctive choice in characterisation: Ravana is presented as something of an anti-hero, a rare note in screen versions of the epic, which traditionally cast him in a more straightforward villain's role. That interpretation is likely to be one of the most debated aspects of the film as wider audiences see it.
The opening follows an extraordinary advance-booking run. Trade tracker Sacnilk, cited by India TV, reported that the film had sold more than 29 lakh tickets in advance and grossed Rs110.35 crore including block seats, or Rs88.79 crore without them, as of 6pm on 4 November. Another tracker put the advance figure at Rs78 crore, a reminder that pre-release estimates vary with the method used.
The release also carried a bonus for cinema-goers: a sneak peek at Eetha, the upcoming film starring Shraddha Kapoor, was attached to the Ramayana release, giving audiences a first look at another major project.
A second instalment is planned to complete the story, and its reception will now shape expectations for that follow-up. For now, the question is whether the strong opening and the enthusiastic early reviews translate into sustained box-office performance beyond the first weekend, as word of mouth spreads past the opening-day crowds.
Early reviews are, by nature, partial: they come from a small number of viewers at premieres and first shows. The fuller verdict will emerge over the coming days as critics and general audiences weigh the film's ambition, its retelling of a beloved epic and the performances at its centre.
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