Mumbai: The Diwali 2027 box office has a new frontrunner. Sandeep Reddy Vanga’s Prabhas-starrer Spirit has been dated for the festival weekend, stepping into a slot that, according to a Bollywood Hungama scoop, opened up after Ranbir Kapoor tipped Vanga off about a delay to Ramayana 2.
The report, attributed to Bollywood Hungama’s sources, suggests that Kapoor — who headlines Nitesh Tiwari’s epic Ramayana — alerted Vanga that the second part of the two-part saga would not make its planned date. Armed with that information, Vanga moved quickly to claim the Diwali 2027 weekend for Spirit, a piece of release-date strategy that could reshape the festival calendar.
Ramayana 2 is now expected to arrive on Diwali 2028, according to the report, with its new date likely to be revealed in a post-credit announcement attached to Ramayana 1. If that plan holds, the two-part epic will stretch across three festive seasons, a long runway for what is already among the most ambitious undertakings in Indian cinema.
The episode, if the scoop is accurate, is a glimpse into how the industry’s biggest dates are negotiated — not merely announced, but claimed, traded and protected through conversations between stars and directors. A festival weekend, especially Diwali, is the most valuable real estate in the Hindi film calendar, and the difference between a solo release and a clash can run into hundreds of crores.
For Spirit, the Diwali 2027 date is a statement of intent. Vanga’s films have consistently drawn massive opening numbers, and pairing his directorial brand with Prabhas — one of Indian cinema’s biggest draws — makes the film an event by default. A clear festival weekend gives it the widest possible canvas.
For Ramayana, the delay is a recalibration rather than a setback, if the report is to be believed. Mounting an epic of this scale across two parts, with the visual effects and production values audiences now expect, is a task that punishes haste. A Diwali 2028 date gives the makers time to deliver a second part worthy of the first.
It is worth noting that the details of the Kapoor-Vanga conversation rest on Bollywood Hungama’s sourcing, and neither camp has publicly confirmed the account. Release strategies of this magnitude are often surrounded by competing narratives, and official announcements remain the final word.
Still, the shape of the coming Diwali calendars is becoming clearer. Spirit owns 2027, Ramayana 2 eyes 2028, and the industry’s biggest names are already playing a long game for the festival weekends that matter most. For audiences, the wait for both films just got a little more interesting.
