Saurabh Sachdeva calls Ranbir and Sai's Ramayana roles toughest

Ramayana crosses Rs 1,110 crore worldwide

The film’s worldwide gross has crossed Rs 1,110 Cr as of 14 November 2026. The collection climbed to Rs 1,110.70 Cr.

Yash’s production entered the Rs 1,000 Cr club on the film’s eighth day. This is his second film to achieve this after KGF: Chapter 2.

Domestic performance and regional earnings

The film recorded 22,993 screenings across India on Friday, 13 November, with an average collection of ₹20,851 per show. The Times of India reported the highest single-day collection reached ₹107.50 crore on the fifth day.

Occupancy rates for Hindi 3D shows reached 32.54% on Friday, with morning slots at 13.54%, afternoon at 29.77%, evening at 40.38%, and night shows at 46.46%. Hindi 2D screenings saw an overall occupancy of 26.75%, ranging from 11.69% in the morning to 38.08% at night. Tamil 3D screenings experienced higher demand with an overall occupancy of 55.13%, peaking at 69.55% during night shows.

Regional contributions show the Telugu version netted ₹40.65 crore, accounting for 6.6% of total domestic earnings. The Tamil version earned ₹24.90 crore, representing 4.1% of domestic intake, while separate screenings for the language contributed ₹2.75 crore from 1,164 shows. The Malayalam version generated ₹21.70 crore, which is 3.5% of total domestic earnings, with an additional ₹3.25 crore coming from 1,070 specific screenings.

Nitesh Tiwari's vision and research process

Director Nitesh Tiwari provided a clear vision to ensure the production remained cohesive and respectful of faith, described by actor Saurabh Sachdeva as a "North Star". Tiwari provided specific direction to Sachdeva regarding how to play the character of Marich.

To prepare for his role, Sachdeva read various versions of the Ramayana. This research allowed him to recognize that he could interpret his character in multiple ways before settling on the director's vision. Sachdeva said he expected public debate and criticism because many versions of the Ramayana exist.

Technical challenges in production

Most of the animation, action, and VFX work for the film was executed by teams based abroad, according to Variety India. Sachdeva said the colour grading, lighting, and new technology used for post-production and language translation were both novel and challenging.

During filming, Sachdeva was recorded with three cameras after each scene while making facial expressions and uttering consonant and vowel sounds for later post-production work. Dialogues were written in a Hindi-English mix, and actors were instructed to shape their faces so the footage could be translated into different languages. While Sachdeva spoke Hindi on set, the English version appears as if he is speaking English.

Sachdeva's preparation for the role of Marich

Saurabh Sachdeva plays the character Marich in the film Ramayana: Part One. The actor is known for his previous work in the films Vadh, Animal, and Eko.

Casting director Mukesh Chhabra auditioned Sachdeva for the role, and he said he was excited to join the project to see the new technology used in the film. The costume for Marich was very heavy and included jewelry made from real materials. These pieces were stored in air-conditioned rooms and felt cold when worn.

Praise for co-stars and powerful scenes

Sachdeva said he was impressed by the performances of his co-stars in the production. He specifically praised Ravie Dubey as Lakshman, Rakul Preet Singh as Surpanakha, and Arun Govil as King Dasharatha.

He found the final scene where Raavana takes Sita away to be particularly powerful and moving.

Future installments and career aspirations

The film Ramayana is a two-part epic, with the first installment having been released in theaters on November 5, 2026. The second part is scheduled for release in 2028.

Sachdeva said he would like to play Duryodhan in a future Mahabharata project. He noted that his training in mask work and body work gives him the required voice and eyes for the character.

Anticipating public debate

The production team anticipated criticism regarding the portrayal of the epic. They were aware that there are multiple versions of the Ramayana that are subject to public debate.