of Nitesh Tiwari The Ramayana has reminded audiences of one of his most memorable films, the riotAnd connection comes through a dialogue.
When Lord Rama was announced as the successor of King Dasharatha in Ayodhya, the news was met with celebration. But not everyone was happy. Kaikeyi’s trusted companion Manthra saw an opportunity to turn the queen against Rama’s coronation.
In conversation with Kaikeyi, he questions why his son should be less deserving of the throne than Bharata Ram. “Is India less than Ram?“Manthra, played by Sheeba Chadha, asks Lara Dutta’s Kaikei in Nitesh Tiwari’s film. The Ramayana.
The dialogue has brought back memories of another memorable moment in Indian cinema.
In 2016’s Dangal, Aamir Khan’s Mahaveer Singh Phogat challenged the prevailing mentality around women in wrestling when he told his wife, “Is mother less than thieves?”
The line comes when Mahaveer decides to train his daughters Geeta and Babita as wrestlers, refusing to let society’s gender stereotypes stand in their way.
Although the contexts of the two scenes could not be more different, the familiar phrase has captured the attention of viewers. And there is an interesting connection between the two films: both The Ramayana And the riot Directed by Nitesh Tiwari.
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the riotReleased in 2016, it was directed by Tiwari and starred Aamir Khan, Fatima Sana Sheikh and Sanya Malhotra. The film became one of the biggest blockbusters in Indian cinema.
Tiwari has returned after almost a decade The RamayanaA two-volume adaptation of the Indian epic. The film stars Ranbir Kapoor as Lord Ram, Sai Pallavi as Sita, Yash as Ravana, Ravi Dubey as Laxman, Lara Dutta as Kaikeyi and Sheeba Chadha as Manthra.
Records broken by The Ramayana On day 1
While The Ramayana Could not displace Dhurandhar: Revenge From the top position, its opening has helped the film set several box office benchmarks. It has become Ranbir Kapoor’s biggest opener, surpassing his previous record animalwhich collected Rs 63.80 crore on its first day in 2023.
This film has easily surpassed Sai Pallavi’s biggest debut of Amaran 21.40 crores started. For director Nitesh Tiwari The Ramayana Recorded a career-best start while advancing from the riotWhich collected Rs 29.78 crore on the first day.
The film has also surpassed Scene 3: Conclusion To become the second biggest Hindi opener of 2026. Moreover, its launch has reportedly set a new benchmark for pre-Diwali Hindi releases.
Yash, who played the role of Ravana in the film, has also added another big opener in his filmography. The Ramayana has registered its third biggest opening since KGF: Chapter 2 And poisonous.
More about The Ramayana
The film hit theaters after an advance booking period that began on Dussehra 15 days before its release. After initial disagreements between exhibitors and distributors were resolved, ticket sales picked up. Reports suggested that the film had sold over Rs 200 crore worth of tickets worldwide before its release, including a business of over Rs 120 crore in India.