Ramayana: Rise of a Legend releases in theatres worldwide on Thursday
The Nitesh Tiwari directed mythological epic has opened on 70,000 screens with advance bookings exceeding Rs 50 crore in India.
The mythological epic Ramayana: Rise of a Legend released in theatres worldwide on Thursday, November 5, according to reports by Times of India, Times Now and Hindustan Times. Directed by Nitesh Tiwari, the film is the first part of an intended duology and features Ranbir Kapoor as Lord Rama, Sai Pallavi as Sita, and Yash as Ravana.
The film has been granted a 'U' certificate by the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) with no cuts and has a runtime of 3 hours and 15 minutes. According to the Times of India, advance bookings in India crossed the Rs 50.08 crore gross mark, with 14.05 lakh tickets sold across 26,615 shows for Thursday.
The production, backed by Namit Malhotra's Prime Focus Studios, has a reported budget of Rs 1,600 crore. The film features music by Hans Zimmer and AR Rahman, with visual effects by DNEG. The cast includes Ravie Dubey, Rakul Preet Singh, Arun Govil, Lara Dutta, Vivek Oberoi, Kunal Kapoor, Adinath Kothare, Kajal Aggarwal, and Anupam Kher, while Sunny Deol plays Lord Hanuman.
Early audience reactions on social media have been mixed. While viewers praised the visual effects, production design, and Yash's portrayal of Ravana, some critics expressed dissatisfaction with the storytelling. West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari announced that the film will be made tax-free in the state.