Ramayana crosses ₹660 crore worldwide in five days as a debate over its Sita grows

Nitesh Tiwari’s Ramayana has earned more than ₹660 crore at the box office worldwide in its first five days, Hindustan Times and India Today reported on 10 November. Ranbir Kapoor plays Ram, Sai Pallavi plays Sita and Yash plays Ravan.

The film, released on 5 November, earned about ₹107 crore in India on Monday, 9 November, the day after Diwali, Hindustan Times reported. That beat the record for the biggest Monday for a Hindi film, held by Dhurandhar 2, the paper said.

A debate over Sita

The film has also stirred argument over how it shows Sita. The actor Mukesh Khanna, known for playing Bhishma in the 1988 television serial Mahabharat, objected to scenes in which Sita wields a sword. “Maa Sita was never a fighter,” he said, The Indian Express reported.

Indira Krishnan, who also acts in the film, defended Sai Pallavi’s Sita, Hindustan Times reported. She said she had not connected with some of what she saw in Ramanand Sagar’s 1987 television Ramayana.

The competition

In Tamil Nadu, Suriya’s Scene, released in the same week, has crossed ₹150 crore in four days, The Indian Express reported, and has earned more than four times what Ramayana has made in Tamil.

Box office figures are estimates from producers and trade trackers, and different reports give slightly different totals.

What’s next

Both films face their first full working week, which will show how long the festival crowds last.