Ramayana fever was on full display as the film premiered in cinemas on Thursday. The two-part mythological epic drew audiences across age groups, including a sizeable number of senior citizens at Salt Lake’s PVR INOX in City Centre 1 for the film’s first-day, first-show screening on 5 November.
For some, watching the film was a spontaneous decision. For others, it was an event they had been eagerly awaiting. Either way, many were determined not to miss the big-screen adaptation on opening day.
Among the audience was 82-year-old Ujjwala Kher, who had travelled from Nagpur to Kolkata with her family for a holiday. Watching on its opening day was not part of their original plan, but the film’s release prompted a change of plans.
“Honestly, it wasn’t planned to watch the first-day, first-show. We came to explore Kolkata from Nagpur. By chance, we learned that Ramayana was being released. Ramayana toh dekhna hi hai, sawaal hi nahi tha nahi dekhne ka,” she told LiveMint.
Kher shared the family had initially considered watching the film after returning to Nagpur, but decided against waiting.
“We thought of watching it after reaching home in Nagpur, but we decided not to wait and came here directly to watch it with my family,” she said.
Kher, who required assistance to enter the cinema hall, also recalled watching Sholay on its opening day.
“I watched Sholay on the first day, first show in Bhilai. So, naturally, we are very excited about watching Ramayana on the first day.”
For 73-year-old Sumitra Dutta, the buzz surrounding Ramayana was reason enough to head to the theatre early in the morning. She said she particularly enjoys watching mythological films with her sister-in-law, who often narrates stories from the epic.
“Of course, I am excited to watch it, and I have come here right in the morning. I like watching mythological films with my sister-in-law, who is always telling me about Ramayana,” she said.
Sixty-five-year-old Shubhashree Sengupta was another moviegoer who decided to watch Ramayana on its opening day after being impressed by the 2026 mythological film . A self-described movie enthusiast, she said she did not want to miss the opportunity to experience watching Ramayana on the big screen.
“It wasn’t preplanned. I came here, and I love movies. So I had to watch Ramayana,” Sengupta said. “Just a few days ago, I watched Hanuman Ansh, which I loved, and now this has been released.”
Made on a massive budget of ₹4,000 crore, Ramayana is expected to earn between ₹75 crore and ₹101 crore net at the domestic box office across languages on its opening day.
