Ramayana’s Troubling Box Office Start Raises Questions About India’s $200 Million Fantasy Epic

A costly two-part project

Ramayana: Rise of a Legend is based on a mythological text sacred to Hindus and is described as the most expensive Indian film ever made. Producer Namit Malhotra said the two-part project cost around $400 million to produce.

The story follows Lord Rama after his banishment from Ayodhya, alongside his brother Lakshman and wife Sita. The first part ends with demon king Ravana kidnapping Sita, setting up a battle between good and evil.

Weekend box office results

Ramayana earned $12 million domestically over the weekend and $55 million worldwide, with most of its worldwide total coming from India. It placed fifth among domestic releases. Japan’s Godzilla Minus Zero took the top spot with a record-breaking haul. The two international films bookended the domestic top five.

Reviews and audience scores

On Rotten Tomatoes, Ramayana has a 76% critics’ score based on 50 reviews. Its audience score is 93%, marked “Verified Hot.” Godzilla Minus Zero has a 90% critics’ score and a 96% audience score on the site. Its predecessor, Godzilla Minus One, holds a 99% critics’ score. The original Godzilla Minus One earned more than $110 million worldwide against a reported $10 million budget and won the Academy Award for Best Visual Effects.

Budget figures remain unclear

The story reports a $200 million budget for Ramayana while also citing Malhotra’s estimate of around $400 million for the two-part project. These figures refer to different scopes in the account, and the film’s individual cost is not clarified.

Whether the box office results will justify the reported $200 million budget and an equally expensive sequel remains uncertain. Ravana’s defeat is set to appear in the sequel; Hindus worldwide celebrate it as Dussehra, while Rama’s return home is marked by Diwali.