Ramayana vs Dhurandhar 2: How Ranveer Singh's A-Rated Action Film Outshines Ranbir Kapoor's Family-Friendly Epic

This is the costliest Indian movie ever produced. The exact cost of Ramayana, however, is unknown. The two parts were years ago reportedly produced at a cost of $500 million ( ₹4000 crore) by the producer Namit Malhotra. It has been reported more recently that the cost of landing Part 1 is ₹1600 crore (about $175 million). Regardless, Ramayana has to make a lot of money for it to make a profit. It has to out-earn Dhurandhar 2, Pushpa 2 and other to make money. However, if the opening day and weekend has shown anything, it's that the crown of Ranveer Singh's Ranveer Dhurandhar is firmly in place. This is an interesting fact. So, how did the story of Ramayana, which has the most spread-out and devotee-following appeal, not beat an A-rated violent spy thriller?

Also Read: Why India's AQI of 387 Could Reach 1,500 in the US and Just 10 in the UK: Explained

Dhurandhar 2's triumph over Ramayana

The plot of Dhurandhar: The Revenge was developed with a lot of hype in the making and was released this March. With part 1 being a blockbuster, the number of advance bookings for the sequel reached never before seen numbers. The Aditya Dhar movie is spiriting off the competition for pan-India giants, as it became the first Bollywood movie to cross ₹100 crore mark in a single day both in India and globally. Ramayana could have followed these numbers as it was very grand scale and is out in large numbers globally. However, it could only make do with ₹65 crore in India and ₹128 crore globally. That's a very high number for any movie with a budget less than ₹1600+ crore. But sadly, Ramayana does not fall in that category.

The one thing that was interesting about the sequel was the fact that it was the edge that Dhurandhar 2 had, being the sequel to a great film. The release time also was important. Part 2 was released in just three months after Part 1. In fact, the first Dhurandhar was still playing in theatres when The Revenge released. The nationalistic themes in the film and the film's slick production also helped with its appeal.

However, the most shocking thing is that Dhurandhar 2 managed to compensate for its A rating and copious gore with hype. Ramayana should be an attraction to the theaters that draws crowds to the theatres by the dozen, and families too, should be coming in droves to the theaters. Yet, the universal appeal wasn't sufficient to dampen the hype around Dhurandhar 2 in the first weekend.

Also Read: Supreme Court Flags Vehicular Pollution, Seeks Action Plan From Delhi and Three States

Ranveer Singh's crown remains unscarred

Over the last decade, Ranveer Singh and Ranbir Kapoor have been hyped up as the best - and most bankable - stars of their generation. Vicky Kaushal has tried to join in the battle with Uri and Chhaava, but the bigger story is that of Ranbir and Ranveer. The first time Ranbir was seen in the film Animal, he appeared to take an edge over the next time he appeared with Ranveer when the two Dhurandhars ruled the roost. It didn't quite turn out like Ramayana was meant to be Ranbir's turn to stake the throne again. The Nitesh Tiwari helmed film grossed 36% less on its opening day and 32% less on the first four days (extended weekend included) than Dhurandhar 2.

It is bound to shrink the distance during the post-Diwali break but till the word of mouth really starts to boom, Ramayana is not likely to win over Dhurandhar 2 anytime soon. This implies that film's aspirations of crossing ₹2000 crores may just be a dream. Dhurandhar 2 missed that mark by about ₹150 crore. Again, for Ramayana to outperform Dhurandhar 2 abroad, it would have to experience a huge boost in its home market.

All about Ramayana

Ramayana is the first of a duology being built by Namit Malhotra's Prime Focus Studios, in association with DNEG and Yash's Monster Mind Creations. Rajaravi star Ranbir Kapoor plays the role of Lord Rama, Sai Pallavi as Sita, Yash as Ravana and Ravie Dubey as Lakshman. The first part has been released globally on November 5 while the second part will be released on the day of Diwali – 2028.

Also Read: 91-Year-Old Athlete Defies Age, Continues Breaking Records in Steeplechase, Hurdles and Pole Vault