Less than six weeks out from its big Diwali-season debut, Ramayana has a brand-new release plan on the table — and it’s a bold one. According to a new scoop, the makers are now looking at a worldwide theatrical release on Thursday, November 5, putting the epic out in cinemas across India and overseas on the same day, three days before the Festival of Lights on November 8.
The move replaces the earlier two-step strategy, in which producer Namit Malhotra had indicated the film would open internationally on November 6 and arrive in Indian cinemas on Diwali day, November 8. The stakeholders are reportedly more or less on board with the unified November 5 date, with an official announcement expected once final approval comes through.
The confidence behind the call is easy to understand. Since 2014, most major Diwali releases have arrived a day after the festival, since audiences are typically busy with puja and celebrations on the day itself. But the hype around Nitesh Tiwari’s two-part magnum opus — starring Ranbir Kapoor as Lord Rama, Sai Pallavi as Sita and Yash as Ravana, with music by A.R. Rahman and Hans Zimmer — is immense. Trade watchers believe the November 5 start, followed by the big post-Diwali holiday on November 9, could set up historic extended first-week numbers.
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