Advance bookings for Ramayana: Part 1 — Ranbir Kapoor's $480 million mythological epic — have stalled on Dussehra day after distributors demanded a revenue share far richer than the industry norm. With the worldwide release just 16 days away on November 5, 2026, exhibitors and distributors remain locked in negotiations over how to split the box office.
Bookings were expected to open nationwide on October 20. But as of 9:30 am Tuesday, barely any cinemas across India had opened sales, Bollywood Hungama reported, with exhibitors refusing to sign screening contracts until the commercial terms are settled.
The 60% demand vs. the 52.5% norm
At the center of the standoff is the distributor's share. The distributors of Ramayana are reportedly demanding 60% in week one, 50% in week two and 40% in week three. The usual terms for big-budget films are far leaner: 52.5% in week one, 45% in week two and 37.5% in week three.
"The distributors of Ramayana are reportedly demanding a 60% revenue share in the first week... This is significantly higher than the usual sharing terms followed for big-budget films. As a result, exhibitors are reluctant to agree to these terms and negotiations are currently underway." — trade source, via Bollywood Hungama
"Unless both parties arrive at a mutually acceptable agreement, the advance booking could get delayed," the source added. "Everyone is keen to release Ramayana on a grand scale, but there has to be mutual consensus when it comes to commercial terms."
Exhibitors hold their ground — mostly
As of Tuesday morning, only a handful of screens had begun selling tickets: INOX Korum Mall in Thane was the sole cinema in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region to open bookings, and AMB Cinemas Kapali in Bengaluru had followed suit. National chains PVR Inox and Cinepolis were expected to open their windows next, while non-national chains and single screens may take longer as talks continue.
The distributor-side argument, as reported by M9 News, is that the producers carry the financial risk: after week four, their cut often falls to 30% or less of net collections, while the reported two-part budget approaches $480 million.
The Hyderabad pre-release event fuels the buzz
The standoff comes a day after the film's Telugu pre-release event at Hyderabad's JRC Convention Centre on October 19, where Ranbir Kapoor, Yash, Sai Pallavi, Rakul Preet Singh, Ravi Dubey, director Nitesh Tiwari and Malhotra took the stage.
Yash — who plays Ravana and also co-produces — made an emotional appeal to fans, urging them not to hunt for "small faults" like minor VFX flaws and to watch with an open mind, warning that losing producers like Malhotra would set Indian cinema back years.
The event also teased Sunny Deol's Hanuman look, and Malhotra outlined a Marvel-scale franchise vision: spin-offs exploring Hanuman, Surpanakha and Jatayu, plus games and theme parks — an Indian entertainment universe aimed at competing with Marvel, DC and Star Wars.
What comes next
The film is slated for a world premiere on October 27 at the David Geffen Theatre at the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures in Los Angeles, ahead of its November 5 worldwide theatrical release. Dharma Productions is distributing the original version, while Dil Raju's Sri Venkateswara Creations handles Andhra Pradesh and Telangana and AVA handles Kerala.
The bottom line: Sixteen days out, the industry still believes in the scale of the release — the argument is only about the split. But every day of stalled advance sales on a festival window is box-office momentum the film cannot get back, and both sides know it.
Watch: Yash's mass entry at the Ramayana Part 1 Telugu pre-release event in Hyderabad — Ranbir Kapoor, Yash, Sai Pallavi and A. R. Rahman on stage with speeches and highlights from the October 19 event.
Music in this post's reel: Kevin MacLeod - Life of Riley (incompetech.com), licensed under CC BY 3.0
Sources: Bollywood Hungama; M9 News; Sacnilk; Variety India