Ramayana 2 may move to Diwali 2028 as bookings hit Rs 8.27 crore

Ramayana: Rise of a Legend is still days away from cinemas, but the franchise’s second chapter is already being reconsidered. Producer Namit Malhotra is weighing a shift for Ramayana 2 from Diwali 2027 to Diwali 2028, according to a report by Bollywood Hungama.

The proposed change would give the team more time to complete filming and the large-scale war sequences that are meant to define the concluding instalment. No revised date has been confirmed yet.

Why the sequel may wait

The two films were originally expected to arrive about a year apart. A source close to the production told the portal that the first part is ready for release “in a couple of days,” but the second instalment “needs some more shooting time.”

The source added a clear reason for the extra care:

“As everyone knows, the real scale of Ramayana is in the second part, where the war actually unfolds.”

That suggests the delay, if finalised, is about protecting the visual scale of the finale rather than fixing a problem. Namit Malhotra and director Nitesh Tiwari have committed to a two-part adaptation of Valmiki’s epic, with Ranbir Kapoor as Lord Rama, Sai Pallavi as Goddess Sita, Yash as Ravana, Sunny Deol as Lord Hanuman and Ravi Dubey as Lakshman.

Part one is already selling

While the sequel timeline remains unconfirmed, the first instalment is showing early strength at the box office. Trade tracker Sacnilk put the advance total at Rs 8.27 crore including block seats by 11:42 am on October 23. Without block seats, the figure stood at Rs 6.25 crore.

Key numbers from the advance window:

• Total gross including block seats rose 52% from Rs 5.44 crore to Rs 8.27 crore.
• Advance collections excluding block seats climbed 73%, from Rs 3.61 crore to Rs 6.25 crore.
• Tracked shows increased 12%, from 3,533 to 3,964.
• Overall bookings grew 58%, from 92,755 to more than 1.47 lakh tickets.
• Average sales per show improved from 26 to 37 tickets.

Blocked seats made up about 24% of the total gross, down from roughly 34% earlier, which means confirmed ticket purchases are driving the latest momentum. Premium formats are doing the heavy lifting: IMAX and 4DX are leading early interest, while standard multiplex screens are still building.

What the opening could look like

Trade circles have discussed an India nett opening target of Rs 70 crore, though November 5 is a pre-Diwali Thursday, so the film will not get a full national holiday on day one. A Rs 60 crore opening is being floated as a possible base if the film gains momentum during the festive window from November 9. Paid previews on November 4 could add an early boost.

For comparison, Dhurandhar: The Revenge sold more than 9.50 lakh opening-day advance tickets across over 17,000 shows. Ramayana’s show count is still lower, with more screens expected to open from around October 29 as exhibitors finalise schedules.

The first film releases on November 5 in Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada and Malayalam, with Prime Focus Studios co-producing alongside DNEG and Yash’s Monster Mind Creations.

Source: India Today