Ramayana: Rise of a Legend (2026) — Cast, Story and Box Office

The film is directed by Nitesh Tiwari, the director of Dangal, and produced by Namit Malhotra of Prime Focus Studios and DNEG. Sony Pictures is handling the film's international distribution. It is one of the most expensive Indian films ever made, with a reported budget of around $250 million for this first part alone.

The film retells the Ramayana, one of the oldest and most beloved stories in the world. Prince Rama, played by Ranbir Kapoor, is exiled from his kingdom and sets out on a journey that leads him into a battle against the demon king Ravana, played by Yash, to rescue his wife Sita, played by Sai Pallavi.

Part one covers the beginning of the epic, building to Rama's confrontation with Ravana. A second part is planned for a future Diwali release to complete the story.

Ranbir Kapoor stars as Rama, with Yash as Ravana and Sai Pallavi as Sita. The film was released in more than 130 countries, on over 10,000 screens, in 17 dubbed languages, and sold more than 11 million tickets worldwide in its opening weekend.

The numbers are historic. In India, the film earned around $32 million in its opening weekend. Overseas markets added about $23.7 million, for a worldwide total of $55.7 million.

In North America, the film opened on November 5-6 in 1,433 theaters — the widest North American release ever for an Indian film. It earned about $3.5 million on its first day, including previews, and finished the weekend at No. 5 with $8.65 million over three days, or $12.1 million over four days including previews. That is the second-biggest four-day start for an Indian film in North America.

The film also set records in premium formats. It earned around $6 million from IMAX screens worldwide, the biggest IMAX opening ever for an Indian film. And it became the first Indian film to top the box office charts in the UK and Ireland, earning £1.7 million there over the November 6-8 weekend.

Ramayana has become a global event. The film's scale, visual effects, and star power have made it the most-watched film in the world over the Diwali holiday. Fans in India have turned screenings into celebrations, and the film is on course to join the highest-grossing Indian movies of all time.

Should you watch it in theaters? Yes — especially in IMAX. This is a mythological epic built for the biggest screen possible, with battle scenes and visuals that demand to be seen in a theater. Whether you know the Ramayana or are discovering it for the first time, this is one of the year's biggest cinematic events.

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Have you seen Ramayana: Rise of a Legend? Tell us in the comments — Team Rama or Team Ravana?