Bollywood News: Mahakavya Shri Ramayan Katha – Shri Ram Ki has struggled at the box office following its theatrical release on September 25, 2026. The mythological film, starring Dev Sharma as Lord Ram and Anjali Arora as Sita, opened amid growing anticipation for Nitesh Tiwari’s much larger Ramayana: Rise of a Legend, starring Ranbir Kapoor, Sai Pallavi and Yash.
According to Bollywood Hungama’s box-office tracker, Mahakavya Shri Ramayan Katha earned around ₹8 lakh on its opening day, followed by ₹4 lakh on Saturday and ₹2 lakh on Sunday, taking its reported opening-weekend total to approximately ₹14 lakh.
Mahakavya Shri Ramayan Katha Gets A Weak Start
The film arrived in cinemas across India on September 25 in Hindi and Chhattisgarhi. Despite being based on the Ramayana, the film has not managed to generate strong theatrical business during its opening weekend.
The reported figures indicate a sharp decline across the first three days, with the collection falling from ₹8 lakh on Friday to ₹2 lakh on Sunday.
Film Information, in its review, described the opening as weak and ultimately called the film a “flop show.” Its review also criticised the screenplay, direction, production design and action sequences, while noting that Dev Sharma performed fairly well as Lord Ram and Nirbhay Wadhwa made an impact as Hanuman.
Dev Sharma Plays Lord Ram
Dev Sharma takes on the role of Lord Ram in Mahakavya Shri Ramayan Katha. The actor’s casting has an interesting connection with other recent Ramayana adaptations.
Before being cast as Ram in this film, Dev had revealed that he had auditioned for the role of Lakshman in both Adipurush and Nitesh Tiwari’s Ramayana. He said the roles did not work out, partly because of physical considerations.
His journey eventually brought him to the lead role of Lord Ram in Mahakavya Shri Ramayan Katha.
Anjali Arora Plays Sita
Social-media personality and actress Anjali Arora plays Sita in the film. Her casting attracted attention even before the theatrical release because of the film’s mythological subject and her transition into the role.
The film also features Rajneesh Duggal as Ravan, Sheel Verma as Lakshman and Nirbhay Wadhwa as Hanuman.
Directed by Abhishek Singh, the film has been produced by Prakash Mahobiya and Sanjay Bundela under Mahobiya Film Production.
Character Posters Created Social Media Buzz
Before release, the film’s character posters became a topic of discussion on social media. One poster showing a vanar character wearing spectacles particularly caught users’ attention, with netizens joking about the modern eyewear appearing in a setting associated with the Treta Yuga.
Other character posters also generated memes and reactions online, with some users comparing the presentation with earlier television and film adaptations of the Ramayana.
The social-media discussion created visibility for the film, although that attention did not translate into a strong opening weekend according to reported box-office figures.
The Film Arrived Before Ranbir Kapoor’s Ramayana
One of the biggest points of interest surrounding Mahakavya Shri Ramayan Katha is its release timing.
The film reached cinemas on September 25, just weeks before Nitesh Tiwari’s much-awaited Ramayana: Rise of a Legend. The latter stars Ranbir Kapoor as Lord Ram, Sai Pallavi as Sita and Yash as Ravana.
The makers of Ranbir’s film have now officially announced the title Ramayana: Rise of a Legend and confirmed November 6, 2026 as its international theatrical release date. The Indian release is planned around the Diwali period.
How It Compares With The Earlier Adipurush Debate
Mahakavya Shri Ramayan Katha has also been discussed online alongside Adipurush, another recent big-screen adaptation of the Ramayana.
Interestingly, Dev Sharma himself has spoken about his earlier audition experiences for Adipurush and Nitesh Tiwari’s Ramayana. He eventually landed the role of Ram in the new film after those earlier opportunities did not materialise.
The comparison between different Ramayana adaptations has naturally become part of the online conversation, particularly because audiences have seen several interpretations of the epic across television and cinema.
What The Reviews Say
Critical response to Mahakavya Shri Ramayan Katha has not been particularly strong. Film Information found the screenplay routine and criticised the direction and several technical aspects, although it acknowledged positive contributions from Dev Sharma and Nirbhay Wadhwa.
NDTV also reported that early audience reactions included criticism of the film’s visual presentation and the viral character-poster controversy.
The combination of weak reported box-office numbers and unfavourable reviews has therefore made the film’s theatrical run difficult in its opening phase.
Ranbir Kapoor’s Ramayana Creates A Different Scale
Meanwhile, Ramayana: Rise of a Legend is being mounted on a significantly larger production scale, with Ranbir Kapoor, Sai Pallavi and Yash leading the cast. The makers have also released behind-the-scenes material showing Ranbir’s preparation for his role as Lord Ram and the international action-training work undertaken for the film.
The official title announcement and November release confirmation have further increased attention around the project.
For Mahakavya Shri Ramayan Katha, the immediate focus now shifts to whether it can improve its theatrical performance in the coming days. Based on the currently reported opening weekend figures, however, the film has had a challenging start.