A high-voltage Dussehra ticket launch was expected for Ramayana, but the film’s advance booking instead opened to an unexpected snag. By Tuesday morning, bookings had appeared in only a handful of cinemas, turning what should have been an early surge of excitement into a tense wait for exhibitors and audiences alike.
Box Office Worldwide has exclusively learned that the patchy rollout is not a demand issue but a business one. Behind the delayed start lies a revenue-sharing standoff between distributors and exhibitors, a clash that has slowed the booking push just when the film was expected to begin building strong theatrical momentum.
Revenue Sharing Standoff Delays Booking Push
The disagreement centres on the week-wise distributor share. For major theatrical releases, the usual pattern is 52.5 percent in week one, 45 percent in week two and 37.5 percent in week three. For Ramayana, distributors are seeking a steeper structure of 60 percent in the first week, 50 percent in the second week and 40 percent in the third week.
That sharper ask has emerged as the key hurdle, especially for exhibitors calculating their margins during the most important stretch of a film’s theatrical run. Instead of a clean nationwide booking launch, negotiations over terms have become the immediate priority before more cinemas come on board.
A trade source said, “Usually, for big films, the distributor’s share is 52.5% in Week 1, 45% in Week 2 and 37.5% in Week 3. But the distributors of Ramayana are reportedly demanding a 60% revenue share in the first week, 50% in the second week and 40% in the third week. This is significantly higher than the usual sharing terms followed for big-budget films. As a result, exhibitors, who are understandably concerned, are reluctant to agree to these terms and negotiations are currently underway.”
The same source added, “Unless both parties arrive at a mutually acceptable agreement, the advance booking could get delayed. Everyone is keen to release Ramayana on a grand scale, but there has to be mutual consensus when it comes to commercial terms.”
Limited Sales Open In Key Centres
For now, only select properties have gone live with bookings. INOX Korum Mall in Thane was among the first cinemas in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region to open ticket sales, while AMB Cinemas Kapali in Bengaluru also began bookings.
That limited start suggests the negotiations are still active across circuits, with a broader rollout likely to depend on how quickly both sides settle the commercial terms.
November 5 Release Plan
The booking deadlock matters because Ramayana is being positioned for a large-scale worldwide release on November 5, 2026, leaving little room for a prolonged slowdown in pre-release momentum. A synchronized advance booking push is usually key to building opening week energy, particularly for a film mounted at this level.
Directed by Nitesh Tiwari and produced by Namit Malhotra, Ramayana stars Ranbir Kapoor, Yash and Sai Pallavi in lead roles, with Prime Focus Studios and Monster Mind Creations backing the project. The film is envisioned as the first chapter of a two-part saga based on the ancient Indian epic, centering on the battle between Rama and Ravana through a large-screen cinematic adaptation.
If the ongoing talks close soon, the film can still regain its booking pace well ahead of release. Until then, Ramayana’s first major contest is unfolding not on screen, but at the box office counter.
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