INDIA: Nitesh Tiwari's 'Ramayana: Rise of a Legend' has crossed the Rs 200-crore mark at the worldwide box office within two days of its release. The film collected Rs 48.05 crore nett in India and about Rs 35 crore overseas on Friday, taking its two-day worldwide gross to roughly Rs 221 crore, according to trade estimates.
The first part of the two-film adaptation opened on November 5, in Diwali week, with a worldwide debut of about Rs 155 crore. Trade analysts expect the film to enter the Rs 500-crore club by the end of its opening weekend.
Ranbir Kapoor plays Rama, Sai Pallavi essays Sita and Yash appears as Ravana, with Sunny Deol as Hanuman. The film's music is by A.R. Rahman and Hans Zimmer, and the visual effects are led by DNEG. The second instalment is scheduled for release in 2028.
The film has drawn praise from across the industry, including from filmmaker S.S. Rajamouli and actors Mahesh Babu and Salman Khan, who said conversations around the film should focus on its story rather than its VFX and budget. It received good response from abraod too, where the film was pitched as India's "history, truth", with collections almost as equal to its domestic market.
(With inputs from PTI and media reports)