New Delhi, Nov. 5 -- Ramayana fever was on full display as the film premiered in cinemas on Thursday. The two-part mythological epic drew audiences across age groups, including a sizeable number of senior citizens at Salt Lake's PVR INOX in City Centre 1 for the film's first-day, first-show screening on 5 November.

For some, watching the film was a spontaneous decision. For others, it was an event they had been eagerly awaiting. Either way, many were determined not to miss the big-screen adaptation on opening day.

Among the audience was 82-year-old Ujjwala Kher, who had travelled from Nagpur to Kolkata with her family for a holiday. Watching Ramayana on its opening day was not part of their original plan, but the film's release prompted...