Ramayana, India’s grand epic storms cinemas, rakes in $55.7 mn in first weekend at global box office, trends in USA, France, Thailand, Indonesia and south east asia
Indian cinema’s ambitious epic Ramayana: Part 1 is making a significant impact at the global box office, wowing audiences across several international markets and establishing itself as one of the biggest cinematic releases from the country.
Directed by Nitesh Tiwari, the film features Ranbir Kapoor as Lord Rama, Sai Pallavi as Goddess Sita and Yash as Ravana. Released worldwide on November 5, the highly anticipated production has generated considerable interest both in India and overseas.
The Epic
India is one of the oldest civilizations on the planet and has an incredible array of historical narratives. Its epics have endured thousands of years of global changes, not only maintaining their essence but even growing in popularity. Now one of its oldest and most famous epic Ramayan comes to the grand stage with Ramayan Part 1 hitting theatres across the globe.
The legendary saga follows the story of the seventh avatar of Lord Vishnu- Lord Ram and his journey from a glorious Prince to a divine hero who vanquishes darkness embodied in this case by the demon king Ravan. Ranbir Kapoor plays the role of Lord Ram with a very strong presence on screen, delving into the various aspects of the see saw journey of the divine avatar. Yash as the demon King Ravan is highly enigmatic and has a powerful villanious persona to boot. The rest of the cast all lead with strong performances form Arun Govil as King Dashrath, Ravi Dubey as Lord Lakshman and Sai Pallavi as Devi Sita.
The grand epic’s latest cinematic portrayal has had a massive financial backing and it shows, with the larger than life settings, beautiful costumes, the regal way the characters are presented and some of the visual effects which are an absolute treat to the eyes. The film release has coincided with the Hindu festival of Diwali which celebrates the return of Lord Ram from his battle with the demon King. As the world lights lamps and bursts firecrackers the film seems to be ready to light up the box office as well.
Strong International Box Office Performance
The film has delivered an encouraging performance across international territories, with North America emerging as one of its biggest overseas markets. The United Kingdom, Australia, the United Arab Emirates and Germany have also contributed significantly to its international earnings.
According to opening-weekend estimates reported by industry publications, Ramayana collected approximately $55.7 million worldwide during its opening period, securing the second position among global releases for the November 5–8 weekend.
The overseas performance has been particularly noteworthy:
- North America: Approximately $12.2 million.
- United Kingdom: Approximately $3 million.
- United Arab Emirates: Approximately $2.2 million.
- Australia: Approximately $1.9 million.
- Germany: Approximately $625,000.
- Thailand: Approximately $550,000.
- Nepal: Approximately $500,000.
- Netherlands: Approximately $240,000.
These figures underline the film’s growing international reach and the importance of overseas audiences to the commercial success of large-scale Indian productions.
Creates History in the UK and Ireland
One of the biggest highlights of the film’s international journey has been its performance in the United Kingdom and Ireland.
According to The Hollywood Reporter India, Ramayana earned approximately £1.7 million during its opening weekend, becoming the first Indian film to top the UK-Ireland weekend box-office charts.
This achievement highlights the growing international appetite for Indian cinema, particularly films that combine culturally significant storytelling with large-scale cinematic presentation.
IMAX Success Adds to Global Momentum
Another major achievement has been the film’s performance in premium theatrical formats.
Ramayana reportedly recorded the biggest worldwide IMAX opening for an Indian film, with IMAX screenings contributing approximately $6 million to its opening-weekend global earnings.
The premium-format performance demonstrates the importance of theatrical spectacle and advanced visual technology in attracting audiences beyond traditional Indian film markets.
Worldwide Collections Continue to Grow
The film’s domestic performance has also remained strong. According to Cinema Express, citing Sacnilk’s tracking figures, Ramayana had reached approximately ₹663.90 crore in worldwide gross collections by November 10.
Its increasing show count and strong audience turnout have further strengthened its box-office momentum.
Meanwhile, the film’s international release is continuing in phases, with additional markets scheduled to receive the movie throughout November. This staggered rollout could provide further opportunities for its overseas collections to grow.
Namit Malhotra’s Global Vision for Indian Cinema
For producer Namit Malhotra, Ramayana represents an ambitious attempt to bring one of India’s most celebrated epics to a worldwide theatrical audience.
With international distribution handled by Sony Pictures, the production has been positioned as a major global cinematic event. Its combination of Indian mythology, international technical expertise, premium theatrical formats and a star-studded cast has helped it attract attention across different territories.
The film’s opening performance also reflects the expanding global footprint of Indian cinema and the commercial potential of culturally rooted stories presented on an international scale.
Southeast Asia Emerges as a Major Growth Market for Ramayana
One of the most encouraging aspects of Ramayana’s international box-office journey is its growing impact across Southeast Asia. Markets such as Thailand, Vietnam, Malaysia, Singapore and Cambodia are contributing to the film’s overseas performance, demonstrating the potential of Indian mythological cinema in the region.
According to trade estimates reported by Pinkvilla, the film’s five-day overseas collections included:
| Southeast Asian country | Estimated box office |
|---|---|
| Thailand | $650,000 |
| Malaysia | $575,000 |
| Singapore | $475,000 |
| Vietnam | $250,000 |
| Cambodia | $150,000 |
| Combined total | $2.1 million |
These figures highlight Southeast Asia as an increasingly important contributor to the film’s international business.
Thailand has emerged as one of the standout markets for Ramayana, with its reported collections indicating strong potential for an Indian-language cinematic release. Vietnam has also delivered an encouraging response, adding to the film’s growing presence across the region with a strong International Box Office Performance.
The film has delivered an encouraging performance across international territories, with North America emerging as one of its biggest overseas markets. The United Kingdom, Australia, the United Arab Emirates and Germany have also contributed significantly to its international earnings.
According to opening-weekend estimates reported by industry publications, Ramayana collected approximately $55.7 million worldwide during its opening period, securing the second position among global releases for the November 5–8 weekend.
The overseas performance has been particularly noteworthy:
- North America: Approximately $12.2 million.
- United Kingdom: Approximately $3 million.
- United Arab Emirates: Approximately $2.2 million.
- Australia: Approximately $1.9 million.
- Germany: Approximately $625,000.
- Thailand: Approximately $550,000.
- Nepal: Approximately $500,000.
- Netherlands: Approximately $240,000.
These figures underline the film’s growing international reach and the importance of overseas audiences to the commercial success of large-scale Indian productions.
Malaysia and Singapore Strengthen Regional Business
Malaysia and Singapore have also emerged as important markets. Both countries recorded their strongest single-day performances on the post-Diwali Monday, according to trade tracking reports.
Malaysia’s collections reportedly picked up towards the end of the opening weekend, while Singapore continued to contribute steadily to the overseas total.
These markets are particularly relevant because of their established audiences for Indian cinema and their potential to support sustained theatrical runs.
Indonesia Could Become the Next Important Market
The next significant development for the film’s Southeast Asian campaign is its scheduled release in Indonesia on November 11, 2026.
Indonesia represents an interesting opportunity because the Ramayana has a longstanding cultural presence in the country, particularly through traditional storytelling, dance and shadow-puppet theatre known as Wayang Kulit.
The familiarity of the epic’s characters and themes could provide an additional cultural connection for local audiences. However, the film’s actual commercial performance will depend on theatrical reach, audience response and local distribution.
A New Opportunity for Indian Cinema
The emerging performance across Southeast Asia could represent an important development for Indian film exports. Traditionally, overseas box-office success for Indian productions has been concentrated in North America, the United Kingdom, the Middle East and Australia.
Ramayana’s encouraging numbers in Thailand, Vietnam, Malaysia, Singapore and Cambodia suggest that Southeast Asia could become a more significant market for large-scale Indian productions.
For Namit Malhotra and the international distribution team at Sony Pictures, the region offers an opportunity to take an iconic Indian epic to audiences with their own historical and cultural connections to the Ramayana.
If the film sustains its momentum and Indonesia delivers a strong opening, Southeast Asia could become one of the most interesting chapters in Indian cinema’s global reach.
