Ramayana advance bookings hit Rs 4.88 crore, Mumbai tickets cost Rs 2,770

If you want to watch Ranbir Kapoor bring Lord Rama to the big screen this Diwali, you might want to book early – and be prepared to pay a premium for the best seats. Nitesh Tiwari’s Ramayana: The Rise of a Legend has collected Rs 4.88 crore in advance bookings across India in less than a day, with nearly 85,000 tickets sold. In Mumbai, some recliner seats are already priced at a hefty Rs 2,770.The numbers are an early glimpse of the appetite for one of Indian cinema’s most ambitious projects. As of 8 am on Wednesday, the film had recorded bookings across 104 cities, including Rs 3.05 crore after block bookings were excluded, according to Sacnilk.Delhi-NCR leads, Mumbai tickets cross Rs 2,700Delhi-NCR is currently leading the advance booking race, bringing in Rs 1.42 crore from 18,674 tickets. Mumbai follows with Rs 1.01 crore from 14,823 tickets, while Pune, Kolkata and Bengaluru have also chipped in.The Hindi version accounts for the largest share, earning Rs 4.62 crore. The dubbed Kannada version has collected Rs 24.92 lakh, while the Telugu version has recorded Rs 47,400. For those eyeing a premium viewing experience, tickets for recliner seats at PVR ICON: Phoenix Palladium in Mumbai’s Lower Parel cost Rs 2,770 for select IMAX 3D shows on November 5 and 6. The city’s earliest listed show is at 6.45 am, with another scheduled as late as 11.45 pm.Bookings opened on Tuesday, more than two weeks before the film’s November 5 release. The rollout was initially slow, reportedly amid a dispute over distribution shares between Dharma Productions and exhibitors, before the makers announced that bookings were open nationwide. They also released Rise of Asura, a video featuring Yash as Ravana, dancing to the beats of the 'Ravana Tandav'. The Hindi version features vocals by Vishal Dadlani, with lyrics by Kumar Vishwas. An epic cast for an epic gambleThe two-part adaptation stars Ranbir as Rama and Sai Pallavi as Sita, with Yash playing Ravana. Sunny Deol, Ravi Dubey, Arun Govil, Lara Dutta, Anupam Kher and Rakul Preet Singh are also part of the ensemble.Produced by Prime Focus and Monster Mind Creations, Ramayana will be distributed overseas by Sony Pictures International. International advance bookings haven’t opened yet.With Diwali approaching, the first-day booking figures offer an early taste of the scale of the film’s theatrical ambitions. The bigger test, of course, will come when audiences finally see the epic on the big screen.- Ends