- Manthara's dialogue in Ramayana echoes Aamir Khan's line from Dangal, both directed by Nitesh Tiwari
- Ramayana stars Ranbir Kapoor as Rama, Sai Pallavi as Sita, and Lara Dutta as Kaikeyi
- Ramayana set box office records with Ranbir Kapoor's biggest opening day collection
Nitesh Tiwari's Ramayana has reminded viewers of one of his most memorable films, Dangal, and the connection comes through a dialogue.
When Lord Ram was announced as King Dashrath's successor in Ayodhya, the news was met with celebration. But not everyone was pleased. Manthara, Kaikeyi's trusted companion, saw an opportunity to turn the queen against Ram's coronation.
In a conversation with Kaikeyi, she questioned why her son Bharata should be any less deserving of the throne than Ram. "Bharat Ram se kam hai kya?" Manthara, played by Sheeba Chaddha, asks Lara Dutta's Kaikeyi in Nitesh Tiwari's Ramayana.
The dialogue has brought back memories of another memorable moment from Indian cinema.
In 2016's Dangal, Aamir Khan's Mahavir Singh Phogat challenged the prevailing mindset around women in wrestling when he told his wife, "Mhaari chhoriyan chhoron se kam hain ke?"
The line came after Mahavir decided to train his daughters, Geeta and Babita, as wrestlers, refusing to let society's gender stereotypes stand in their way.
While the contexts of the two scenes could not be more different, the familiar phrasing has caught viewers' attention. And there is an interesting connection between the two films: both Ramayana and Dangal have been directed by Nitesh Tiwari.
Background
Dangal, released in 2016, was directed by Tiwari and starred Aamir Khan, Fatima Sana Shaikh and Sanya Malhotra, among others. The film went on to become one of the biggest blockbusters in Indian cinema.
Almost a decade later, Tiwari has returned with Ramayana, a two-part adaptation of the Indian epic. The film features Ranbir Kapoor as Lord Rama, Sai Pallavi as Sita, Yash as Ravana, Ravie Dubey as Lakshman, Lara Dutta as Kaikeyi and Sheeba Chaddha as Manthara.
Records Broken By Ramayana On Day 1
While Ramayana could not displace Dhurandhar: The Revenge from the top position, its opening has helped the film set several box office benchmarks. It has become Ranbir Kapoor's biggest opener, surpassing his previous record held by Animal, which collected Rs 63.80 crore nett on its opening day in 2023.
The film has also delivered Sai Pallavi's biggest opening, comfortably surpassing Amaran's reported opening of Rs 21.40 crore. For director Nitesh Tiwari, Ramayana has registered a career-best opening, moving ahead of Dangal, which had collected Rs 29.78 crore on Day 1.
The film has also overtaken Drishyam 3: The Conclusion to become the second-biggest Hindi opener of 2026. Additionally, its opening has reportedly set a new benchmark for pre-Diwali Hindi releases.
Yash, who plays Ravana in the film, has also added another major opener to his filmography. Ramayana has recorded his third-biggest opening after KGF: Chapter 2 and Toxic.
More About Ramayana
The film arrived in theatres following an extensive advance booking period that began on Dussehra, 15 days before its release. After an initial disagreement between exhibitors and distributors was resolved, ticket sales gained momentum. Reports suggested that the film had sold tickets worth Rs 200 crore worldwide ahead of its release, including more than Rs 120 crore in India.