Namit Malhotra's Ramayana team behind Mahakavya Shri Ramayan Katha's 'negative marketing'? Producer says, 'they're asking people not to watch film'

The mythological film Mahakavya Shri Ramayan Katha was met with criticism, with producer Prakash Mahobiya alleging that negative PR affected its reception.

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 faced negative reactions over its casting even before its release and failed to make an impact at the box office. In an interview with India Today, the film's producer, Prakash Mahobiya, alleged that negative buzz surrounding the film was part of a wider campaign and claimed that the team is now planning to re-release it.

Mahakavya Shri Ramayan Katha's producer alleges negative marketing by Ramayana team.

Prakash Mahobiya alleges negative PR against Mahakavya Shri Ramayan Katha

Prakash alleged that negative comments about the film were circulated among YouTubers and influencers, which prevented many people from giving it a chance. He said, "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."

When Prakash was asked if he was accusing Nitesh Tiwari and Namit Malhotra's team of being behind the alleged campaign, he said he was not sure, but that this was what they had been told.

About Mahakavya Shri Ramayan Katha

Helmed by Abhishek Singh, the film features Anjali Arora, Dev Sharma and Rajneish Duggal in lead roles. Before its release, the film faced backlash over Anjali's casting as Sita and criticism of its VFX. After its release, viewers also pointed out several issues, including a poster which showed one of the members of the Vanar Sena wearing spectacles. The criticism continued after the film's release, and it collected only ₹46 lakh worldwide, according to Sacnilk.

About Ramayana

Helmed by Nitesh Tiwari and backed by Namit Malhotra and Yash, the two-part epic is mounted on a reported budget of ₹4,000 crore. The film stars Ranbir Kapoor as Lord Rama, Sai Pallavi as Sita and Yash as Ravana, along with Ravi Dubey, Sunny Deol, Rakul Preet Singh and others in key roles. The film will be released in two parts, with the first part scheduled to release on Diwali 2026 and the second on Diwali 2027.