Highlights:
Telugu actor Prabhas fans have taken to social media to compare the opening-day box office collections of Adipurush (2023) and Ranbir Kapoor’s Ramayana: Rise of a Legend (2026), after the new epic failed to surpass the earlier film’s domestic opening record.
Despite its massive reported budget, Ramayana earned Rs 64.85 crore ($6.86 million) net in India on its opening day, November 5. Its worldwide gross stood at £10.1 million, according to the figures cited in the report.
In comparison, Prabhas-starrer Adipurush, directed by Om Raut, collected Rs 86.75 crore ($9.18 million) net in India on its first day. Its reported worldwide gross was £10.2 million. The film's opening was led by its Telugu version, followed by Hindi.
The difference in domestic collections quickly became a talking point among Prabhas fans, who highlighted the actor's box office record despite the criticism Adipurush received after its release.
Prabhas fans react to Ramayana's opening
Several users on X pointed to the difference between the reported budgets of the two films. One fan claimed that Ramayana had a budget of £318 million, compared with an estimated £39.8–£55.7 million for Adipurush, and argued that the larger investment had not translated into a bigger opening.
The user wrote: "Records are not made just by investing money, sir; one also has to win the hearts of the people (sic)."
Another fan celebrated Prabhas's opening-day numbers, writing: "Never thought I'd be flexin' Adipurush's Day 1 records, but here we are! #Prabhas is the undisputed King of Openings. Just give him a solid director and good content, and watch him unleash (sic)."
Other users pointed out that Adipurush continued to hold the record for the biggest opening by a non-sequel Bollywood film, despite the backlash it faced over its visual effects and adaptation of the Ramayana.
One post also placed Ramayana behind Dhurandhar 2 and Adipurush in the overall opening-day rankings, while noting that it had crossed Jawan's reported Rs 120 crore worldwide opening.
How the two films compare
Ramayana: Rise of a Legend, which released on November 5, collected Rs 64.85 crore net across 25,200 shows in India, according to Sacnilk figures cited by India Today. The Hindi version contributed the largest share.
The film stars Ranbir Kapoor as Lord Rama, Sai Pallavi as Sita, Ravie Dubey as Lakshman, Yash as Ravana and Sunny Deol as Lord Hanuman.
Adipurush, released in 2023, featured Prabhas as Raghav, Kriti Sanon as Janaki, Saif Ali Khan as Lankesh, Sunny Singh as Shesh and Devdatta Nage as Bajrang.
While the two films have drawn comparisons because of their shared epic subject, their opening-day figures have now become another point of discussion among fans.
