Ramayana Tops IMDb's Most-Anticipated Indian Films, Ahead of King and Toxic

Ramayana has topped IMDb's list of most anticipated Indian films for the remainder of 2026, ahead of Shah Rukh Khan's King, YRF's Alpha and the Yash-led Toxic. Interest charts of this kind rarely predict collections, but they do map where global attention sits before a campaign begins.

The more consequential story in the trade is about the calendar. Reports suggest the makers have discussed moving Part One a week ahead of Diwali rather than opening on the festival itself, on the reasoning that an earlier start builds word of mouth into the holiday rather than exhausting it during the peak.

It is a strategy Hindi cinema has used before with mixed results. Opening on the festival guarantees the biggest single day; opening the week before trades that peak for a longer, cleaner run when families are already on holiday. For a film needing sustained collections across weeks rather than a spectacular opening, the second logic has weight.

Distribution negotiations are reported to be underway, with a final decision expected once those are locked. The listed date remains 6 November 2026.