Mahakavya Shri Ramayan Katha Producer Blames Ranbir Kapoor’s Ramayana for Film’s Setback

Ahead of Nitesh Tiwari's Ranbir Kapoor and Yash-starrer Ramayana, another film based on the mythological epic, Mahakavya Shri Ramayan Katha, was released in theatres on September 25. However, the film weathered criticism over its casting even before its release and crashed at the box office. In a new interview with India Today, the film's producer, Prakash Mahobiya, alleged that negative buzz surrounding the film was deliberately engineered. He has also revealed that the team is now planning to re-release it.

Negative Buzz Allegations Against Ranbir Kapoor's Ramayana

He insisted that a bunch of YouTubers and influencers drummed up negative word regarding the film. The bad publicity, he claimed, was purely manufactured to destroy the film. "It was negative marketing throughout. We never got a chance to reach our audience. The ones who watched our film really enjoyed it. But if they never got to see it, how will they even have an opinion?"

He added, "From what we have been told, there are other movies on the same subject coming in, the big-budget film. As far as we know, a lot of negative marketing opportunities have been given to YouTubers, influencers and other people. They are spreading wrong information and asking people not to watch our film."

“We are learning. It’s our first experience. We are happy we did well. You cannot make a Ramanand Sagar Ramayan. But we wanted to make a film celebrating what we witnessed on screen as children. There is a lot of difference between your film and the other film that will arrive soon. But we are confident that, given a chance, people would have liked our film too,” he said.

Mahakavya Shri Ramayan Katha features Anjali Arora, Dev Sharma and Rajneish Duggal in lead roles. The film was released in theaters on September 25. Helmed by Abhishek Singh, the film was lashed with controversy, particularly over the decision to cast Anjali as Sita and concerns surrounding the quality of its visual effects. The film continued to draw criticism following its release, with audiences underlining various inconsistencies, including a promotional poster that appeared to depict a member of the Vanar Sena wearing spectacles. The negative response persisted after the movie arrived in cinemas, and it raked in just ₹46 lakh globally, as reported by trade tracker Sacnilk.

Meanwhile, Nitesh Tiwari’s Ramayana is a two-part film and the first part of the film will release on Diwali. As per producer Namit Malhotra, the two films are being mounted on a budget of Rs 4,000 crore, which makes it one of the most expensive Indian productions ever. The film stars Ranbir Kapoor, Sai Pallavi, Yash, Ravi Dubey, Adinath Kothare, Vivek Oberoi, Lara Dutta, Rakulpreet, Sunny Deol, and many more.