Ramayana is choosing an old-fashioned release window and aiming for a modern-day opening number. The film arrives on Thursday, November 5, three days before Diwali on Sunday, November 8. Trade estimates put the start at Rs 60-70 crore, which would place it among the biggest Hindi openers of all time.
A window the industry usually avoids
The run-up to Diwali is considered soft for theatrical business. Families are busy with last-minute shopping and preparations, footfalls stay low, and evening shows often dip during Lakshmi Puja. That reality pushed the trade toward a different pattern.
Krrish 3 (2013) opened two days before the festival and was steady rather than spectacular until the Monday after Diwali. Housefull 4 (2019), which also landed two days before Diwali, followed the same curve: real momentum began on day four. After Happy New Year (2014), the post-Diwali holiday became the default launchpad for event films, used by Prem Ratan Dhan Payo, Golmaal Again and Thugs Of Hindostan.
The Mard playbook
Ramayana is walking away from that trend. Its closest historical reference is Amitabh Bachchan’s Mard, which landed four days before Diwali in 1985 and opened to immediate demand. Trade veteran Taran Adarsh remembers the craze being powerful from day one.
- Mard (1985): Released November 8 with Diwali on November 12; strong from the opening day.
- Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge (1995): Opened before Diwali, grew through the holiday and became the biggest hit of 1995.
- Kuch Kuch Hota Hai and Bade Miyan Chote Miyan (1998): Released four days before Diwali and still posted encouraging opening weekends.
- Hum Saath Saath Hain (1999): Started below full potential, then jumped after Diwali and ended as the year’s biggest hit.
- Krrish 3 (2013) and Housefull 4 (2019): Smaller pre-Diwali starts followed by post-festival jumps.
Distributor Raj Bansal, who released DDLJ in Rajasthan, added that DDLJ did strong business from its release day itself, while Mard’s action format probably gave it an extra front-loaded advantage.
Why Monday is the real test
Advance booking reports point to a bumper opening, so the opening-day estimate may not be a stretch. If Ramayana really opens in the Rs 60-70 crore band before the festival, attention quickly moves to Monday, November 9. A film starting that high can surge once the holiday crowd returns, provided the word of mouth holds.
The pre-Diwali effect is real, but history shows it is not absolute. Strong audience interest has repeatedly beaten the calendar when the film itself feels like an event. Ramayana’s first weekend will show whether that still works in an era that reacts instantly to a first-day number.
Source: bollywoodHungama.com
