Read the national headlines and Ramayana looks like a Delhi–Mumbai story. The biggest money is coming from there, and that is what most reports are leading with.
But spend five minutes with the Karnataka numbers and a different, more interesting story shows up. In this state, Ramayana is not really being sold as “Ranbir Kapoor’s film”. It is being booked as Yash’s film — the home star, playing Ravana, in the biggest production his own company has ever been part of. And Bengaluru, as usual, is doing almost all the heavy lifting.
Here is what the advance booking data actually says, without the noise.
Last updated: 24 October 2026 | Figures: Sacnilk advance booking reports, 21–23 October 2026
Ramayana Advance Booking in Karnataka: The Latest Numbers at a Glance
| Detail | Latest Figure |
|---|---|
| India total advance booking (23 Oct, evening) | ₹8.8 crore, 1.56 lakh tickets sold |
| India total (23 Oct, 10 AM detailed report) | ₹8.27 crore including blocked seats, ₹6.25 crore excluding blocks |
| Karnataka state total (all languages) | ₹58.23 lakh |
| Kannada version total | ₹55.96 lakh — rising to ₹69.37 lakh by 23 Oct evening |
| Kannada version shows | 180 shows (up from just 61 on day one) |
| Bengaluru — Kannada version | ₹43.21 lakh |
| Mysuru — Kannada version | ₹4.95 lakh |
| Shivamogga — Kannada version | ₹4.16 lakh |
| Bengaluru — all languages, city total | ₹44.97 lakh |
That is the current picture of Ramayana advance booking in Karnataka, as of the evening of 23 October
One honest note before we go further: these numbers moved fast between 21 and 23 October, and different reports captured them at different times of the day. That is why you may see slightly different figures on other sites. We have mentioned the time with every figure below, because with advance booking, when a number was recorded matters as much as the number itself.
First, Clear One Confusion: “Karnataka Collection” and “Kannada Version Collection” Are Not the Same Thing
This is where most readers — and frankly, a few reports — are getting confused.
Karnataka collection (₹58.23 lakh) means every ticket sold inside Karnataka, in Hindi, Kannada and every other language combined.
Kannada version collection (₹55.96 lakh, later ₹69.37 lakh) means tickets sold for the Kannada-dubbed version, mostly inside Karnataka, but counted by language, not by state.
The two figures being so close tells you something important: in Karnataka, almost everyone booking early is choosing the Kannada version. The Hindi version, which is dominating nationally with over 90% of the all-India advance gross, is a small part of the story here. Language loyalty is real in this market, and Ramayana is proof of it once again.
We have seen this pattern before with big dubbed releases, and it is one of the reasons the Kannada industry keeps bouncing back — something we wrote about in our piece on the rise and fall of the Kannada film industry after 2022.
How the Kannada Booking Grew in Just Three Days
The growth curve is the real story here. Look at it step by step:
20 October: Advance booking opens — but only in a limited number of cinemas. A revenue-sharing disagreement between distributors and exhibitors slows down the wider rollout, so on day one, the Kannada version has very few screens to sell.
21 October: The film collects ₹4.96 crore across India from 86,187 tickets. The Kannada version contributes ₹25.15 lakh from just 61 shows. Bengaluru accounts for ₹18.86 lakh of that, followed by Mysuru (₹2.37 lakh) and Shivamogga (₹2.06 lakh).
23 October, 10 AM: India total jumps to ₹8.27 crore and 1.47 lakh tickets across 3,964 shows. The Kannada version is now at 180 shows and ₹55.96 lakh.
23 October, evening: Fresh reports put the India total at ₹8.8 crore with 1.56 lakh tickets, and the Kannada version at ₹69.37 lakh.
In roughly 48 hours, Kannada shows almost tripled — from 61 to 180 — and the Kannada collection more than doubled. That does not happen when audiences are uninterested. That happens when theatres realise they opened too few shows and rush to add more.
There is one more detail in the Sacnilk data that deserves attention: bookings excluding blocked seats grew by about 73% since the first 24 hours, faster than the headline total. In simple words, the growth is coming from real people buying real tickets, not from seats being blocked in bulk. That is the healthiest sign an advance booking trend can show this early.
Bengaluru Is Doing the Heavy Lifting — Almost 77 Paise of Every Rupee
Of the ₹55.96 lakh the Kannada version had collected in the detailed 23 October morning report, Bengaluru alone contributed ₹43.21 lakh. Do the maths and it comes to roughly 77% — more than three-fourths of the entire Kannada advance booking, from one city.
An early Sacnilk checkpoint also showed Bengaluru recording around 48% occupancy across the limited shows available at that point, which is far healthier than the national average occupancy reported in the same period. The demand in Bengaluru is concentrated, intense, and premium-format driven.
Mysuru (₹4.95 lakh) and Shivamogga (₹4.16 lakh) are small in comparison, but do not dismiss them. These numbers came when bookings had barely opened outside Bengaluru. Tier-2 Karnataka usually wakes up closer to release day, once single screens and local theatres open their counters. Watch these two cities over the next week — if they double, Ramayana’s Kannada run will have a much longer life than a Bengaluru-only success.
Why Is a “Hindi Film” Selling Like This in Kannada? The Yash Factor
Let us say it plainly: in Karnataka, Yash is the face of this film.
Yes, Ranbir Kapoor plays Rama and Sai Pallavi plays Sita, and both have their own following here. But Yash is not just acting in Ramayana — his company, Monster Mind Creations, has co-produced it along with Namit Malhotra’s Prime Focus Studios. The film’s booking campaign itself opened around Dussehra with Yash as Ravana. For Kannada audiences, this is not a Bollywood film with a familiar face in it. This is their star stepping onto the biggest stage Indian cinema has built, as the most powerful character in the epic.
After KGF, Yash’s audience in Karnataka does not wait for reviews. They book first and discuss later. We are seeing that same behaviour again — only this time, interestingly, for a film where he plays the antagonist. That tells you the booking is driven by star loyalty, not by which side of the story he is on.
It will be worth comparing this run with the other big Kannada earners of the year once Ramayana completes its theatrical run — we keep that list updated in our highest grossing Kannada movies of 2026 report.
It Is Not Demand That Is Missing in Karnataka. It Is Shows.
Here is our reading of the situation, and we will own it as an opinion: Karnataka’s numbers right now look “small” next to Delhi or Maharashtra mainly because the Kannada version started with very few shows.
Consider this. Nationally, premium formats like IMAX, 4DX and Dolby contributed about 29% of the advance gross from only 6% of the shows — audiences are clearly ready to pay more for the big-screen experience. Morning shows are reporting the strongest occupancy, around 18% nationally. And as of the last detailed report, no tracked show in India had completely sold out yet, which simply means a large part of the inventory — especially outside the metros — has not even opened properly.
As more Karnataka theatres settle their terms and open bookings in the coming days, expect the Kannada show count to climb again, and the collection to climb with it. The ceiling for this film in Karnataka has not been tested yet.
Planning to Watch in Bengaluru? Read This Before You Book
A few practical points, based on the booking pattern so far:
- Book the opening weekend now, not later. Bengaluru morning and premium shows are filling the fastest. If you want IMAX or a 3D show on 5, 6 or 7 November, waiting till release week is a gamble.
- Kannada version first, Hindi as backup. In Bengaluru, the Kannada version has more emotional pull and strong occupancy. If your preferred show is full, the Hindi 3D version is the next best option — it is the highest-selling format nationally.
- Keep the runtime in mind. Ramayana: Part One runs about 3 hours 15 minutes (195 minutes) in the Hindi version. With the interval and ads, plan for close to three and a half hours inside the theatre.
- Tier-2 viewers, wait a few days — smartly. If you are in Mysuru, Shivamogga, Hubballi or Mangaluru, more shows and better seat choices usually open closer to release. Check again around 1–2 November.
Ramayana: Part One — Quick Film Details
- Release date: Thursday, 5 November 2026, worldwide
- Director: Nitesh Tiwari
- Cast: Ranbir Kapoor as Rama, Sai Pallavi as Sita, Yash as Ravana, Sunny Deol as Hanuman, Ravie Dubey as Lakshman, with Arun Govil, Anupam Kher, Kajal Aggarwal, Rakul Preet Singh, Vivek Oberoi and Lara Dutta
- Producers: Prime Focus Studios (Namit Malhotra) and Monster Mind Creations (Yash)
- Music: A. R. Rahman and Hans Zimmer
- Languages: Hindi, Kannada, Telugu, Tamil, Malayalam and English, including IMAX 3D
- Runtime: About 195 minutes (Hindi version)
- Part 2: Planned for Diwali 2027
For the film’s background, casting journey and production story, read our earlier Ramayana exclusive update on the two-part epic.
What Happens Next? Our View
With 12 days still to go for release, the all-India advance booking crossing ₹10 crore looks like a matter of time. For Karnataka, the number that matters is not today’s ₹58 lakh — it is how much the Kannada show count grows by 1 November.
If Bengaluru’s premium shows start hitting “filling fast” and Mysuru–Shivamogga double their current figures, the Kannada version could quietly become one of the strongest dubbed-version performances Karnataka has seen in recent years. If the shows do not expand, the film will still open well here — it will simply leave money on the table.
We are tracking Ramayana advance booking in Karnataka every day until release day, so bookmark this page and check back.
What is the latest Ramayana advance booking in Karnataka collection?
As per Sacnilk’s detailed report on 23 October 2026, Karnataka had collected ₹58.23 lakh in advance booking across all languages. The Kannada version alone stood at ₹55.96 lakh in the morning report and rose to ₹69.37 lakh by the evening, with Bengaluru contributing the largest share.
How much has the Ramayana Kannada version collected in advance booking?
The Kannada version collected ₹25.15 lakh on the first reported day (21 October) from 61 shows, grew to ₹55.96 lakh across 180 shows by 23 October morning, and was reported at ₹69.37 lakh by 23 October evening as more shows opened.
Which city is leading Ramayana advance booking in Karnataka?
Bengaluru is leading by a big margin. It contributed ₹43.21 lakh of the Kannada version’s ₹55.96 lakh in the detailed 23 October report — roughly 77% of the total — followed by Mysuru (₹4.95 lakh) and Shivamogga (₹4.16 lakh).
When will Ramayana release in Karnataka?
Ramayana: Part One releases worldwide, including across Karnataka, on Thursday, 5 November 2026, in Kannada, Hindi, Telugu, Tamil, Malayalam and English, including IMAX 3D shows.
Why are Ramayana Kannada shows limited right now?
Advance booking opened in a limited number of cinemas on 20 October, reportedly due to a revenue-sharing disagreement between distributors and exhibitors. Shows are being added steadily — the Kannada version grew from 61 shows to 180 shows in about two days — and the count is expected to rise further before release.
