Nitesh Tiwari’s Ramayana: Part 1 has taken its biggest step yet beyond the box office. The makers of the Ranbir Kapoor and Yash starrer have submitted the film for consideration at the 99th Academy Awards, putting the mythological epic in the Oscars 2027 race in the Visual Effects category.
The submission comes just six days after the film opened in cinemas worldwide on November 5, and it arrives at a moment when the film is already rewriting box office records. According to trade figures cited by NDTV, Ramayana: Part 1 has grossed over Rs 403.95 crore in India and around Rs 673.90 crore worldwide in its first six days, while some other trade trackers put the worldwide total closer to Rs 800 crore.
An independent entry, not India’s official pick
The Oscars submission needs one important clarification. Ramayana is not India’s official entry to the Academy Awards. That honour belongs to Santosh Davakhar’s Marathi film Gondhal, which the Film Federation of India selected as the country’s official submission in the International Feature Film category.
Ramayana has gone the independent route instead. Under Academy rules, any film can submit itself for consideration in the general categories, including Best Picture and the technical awards, as long as it meets the qualifying theatrical run requirements. The makers have sent the film in for the Visual Effects category, and it is not yet clear whether they have entered it in other categories as well.
The timing is tight. Films whose qualifying theatrical run falls between July 1 and December 31, 2026 must submit their Oscars forms and full screen credits to the Academy by 5 PM Pacific Time on Thursday, November 12. Ramayana missed the Academy’s September deadline for the official-entry route because of its November 5 release, but the rules allow films released later in the year to qualify through the independent route.
Why the VFX category is the natural bet
If there is one category where Ramayana can genuinely compete, it is visual effects. The film’s scale has been its biggest talking point since the first teaser, and the effects work is handled by DNEG, the eight-time Oscar-winning visual effects studio. The film is jointly produced by Namit Malhotra’s Prime Focus Studios and Yash’s Monster Mind Creations, and the production has leaned heavily on large-scale world building, from Ayodhya’s palaces to Lanka’s fortress.
The film stars Ranbir Kapoor as Lord Ram, Sai Pallavi as Sita, Yash as Ravana and Ravi Dubey as Lakshman. It is the first part of a two-film retelling of the epic, and work on the second part is already well advanced. Cinematographer Pankaj Kumar has said that around 60 per cent of Ramayana: Part Two is already shot, with the sequel expected to arrive on Diwali next year.
What the submission actually means
It is worth being clear about what has happened and what has not. A submission is not a nomination. Thousands of films are submitted to the Academy every year, and only a handful make the shortlists, let alone the final nominations. The VFX category in particular is fiercely competitive, with Hollywood’s biggest blockbusters fighting for the same ten shortlist spots.
What the submission does signal is intent. The makers clearly believe the film’s craft can stand up to global scrutiny, and they are willing to put it through the Academy’s qualifying process, which includes mandatory theatrical screenings in designated US metro areas such as Los Angeles, New York, the Bay Area, Chicago, Dallas-Fort Worth and Atlanta.
For Indian cinema, the move also fits a wider pattern. Indian films have increasingly used the independent route to reach the Academy when they are not the official selection, and the conversation around Ramayana shows how much the industry’s ambitions have grown. A film mounted on this scale was always going to be judged beyond India, and the Oscars submission makes that ambition official.
What happens next
The Academy will announce its shortlists in December, and that is the first real test. If Ramayana makes the VFX shortlist of ten, it will be a significant achievement in itself, and a nomination would put it in rare company for an Indian film. Either way, the film’s immediate focus remains the box office, where it is still drawing crowds in its second week and inching towards the Rs 1,000 crore mark worldwide.
For now, the headline is simple: India’s biggest film of the year has formally entered the Oscars race. Whether it goes any further depends on the Academy’s voters, but the makers have made their move, and they have made it while the film is still the biggest story in Indian cinema.
FAQs
Has Ramayana been nominated for an Oscar?
No. The makers have submitted the film for consideration at the 99th Academy Awards in the Visual Effects category. A submission is the first step, and nominations are announced much later after shortlists and voting.
Is Ramayana India’s official entry to the Oscars 2027?
No. India’s official entry in the International Feature Film category is the Marathi film Gondhal. Ramayana has been submitted independently in the general categories, which does not affect Gondhal‘s chances.
Which category has Ramayana been submitted in?
The Visual Effects category. It is not yet clear whether the makers have submitted the film in any other categories as well.
When was Ramayana released?
Ramayana: Part 1 released in cinemas worldwide on November 5, 2026. It stars Ranbir Kapoor as Ram, Sai Pallavi as Sita, Yash as Ravana and Ravi Dubey as Lakshman.
How much has Ramayana earned at the box office?
According to trade figures cited by NDTV, the film has grossed over Rs 403.95 crore in India and around Rs 673.90 crore worldwide in its first six days. Some other trade trackers put the worldwide total closer to Rs 800 crore.
Ramayana: Part 1 is in cinemas now, with the second part expected on Diwali next year.
