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What better way to cap off the first week in theatres than by entering the race for one of cinema's most prestigious awards?
The makers of Nitesh Tiwari's Ramayana have reportedly submitted the first part of the two-part epic for consideration at the 99th Academy Awards, online reports stated. This year, the Marathi film Gondhal has also been selected as India's official entry in the International Feature Film category.
While Ramayana is not India's official submission, there are conditions that allow it to be independently considered for the Academy Awards.
For a feature film to qualify for the Oscars, it must meet the Academy’s eligibility criteria, which include a theatrical release in at least one of six qualifying US metropolitan areas: Los Angeles County, New York City, the Bay Area, Chicago, Dallas–Fort Worth and Atlanta. The film must complete a minimum seven-day run in the same commercial cinema, with at least three screenings daily and one screening beginning between 6 pm and 10 pm each day. The screenings must be open to the public for paid admission. These conditions, however, only apply for eligibility in general awards categories. For Best Picture consideration, the eligibility process carries additional theatrical release and inclusion requirements.
Ramayana is globally distributed by Sony Theatrical Pictures and in India by Dharma Productions. As per reports, the film has been released in 10,000 screens in over 130 countries in 17 dubbed languages. The film is performing well in North America, Europe (it topped the UK-Ireland box-office chart for opening weekend) and other territories.
Aside from officially entering the Academy Awards race, Ramayana has sustained a stellar first week in theatres.
Starring Ranbir Kapoor as Lord Ram, Sai Pallavi as Sita and Yash as Ravana, the film gained praise during its premiere in Los Angeles on October 27. The film has also bagged massive numbers at the box office, hauling in a staggering ₹107.50 crore net across India on Monday, and crossing ₹660 crore globally in estimates. It is currently one of the best-performing theatrical films in the world, behind the Japanese kaiju epic Godzilla Minus Zero.
The 99th Academy Awards are scheduled for March 14, 2027 in Los Angeles, US.