Namit Malhotra reacts to Mahabharata buzz before Nov 5 release

The viral question finally reached the producer

At the Los Angeles premiere of Ramayana, producer Namit Malhotra was on the red carpet when a reviewer asked the question that has been floating around fan circles for months: when will he make Mahabharata with SS Rajamouli? Malhotra laughed, and he did not take the bait. He called Rajamouli “a legendary director” and added that he wished him “lots of success.”

The moment was caught on camera and quickly began travelling online. When the interviewer nudged once more, Malhotra kept his answer broad. “It’s time for all of our Indian cinema to succeed,” he said. It was a warm, diplomatic response that kept the Mahabharata dream alive without confirming a single detail.

Why the speculation is not cooling down

Part of the reason is that Malhotra is not treating Ramayana as a one-off. Reports say he is expanding the adaptation into a large, interconnected mythological cinematic universe. Spin-offs and standalone projects are expected around Hanuman, Surpanakha, Jatayu, Indrajit and Angad, with Sunny Deol named for the Hanuman story.

That level of ambition makes Mahabharata feel like the natural next mountain. Rajamouli recently praised the scale of Nitesh Tiwari’s film, and Malhotra responded with gratitude, saying they are both doing their best to put Indian cinema on the world stage and wishing Team Varanasi the very best. That public warmth is enough to keep fan theories humming, but no official announcement has followed.

There is also a simple casting logic at work. Rajamouli is India’s most successful large-canvas storyteller after RRR, and the Mahabharata is the country’s largest epic. Put the two together and the possibility writes its own headline. That is why a single red carpet question becomes news even when the answer is “not yet.”

What the mythoverse actually promises

For fans, this is bigger than one film. A connected universe changes how these stories are told: central characters can get their own features, smaller figures can become leads, and the audience has a reason to return before the next main chapter. Ramayana, starring Ranbir Kapoor, Sai Pallavi and Yash, is the test case for that model.

The bar is high. Rajamouli has already shown with RRR that Indian spectacle can cross over globally, and Malhotra’s plan is aimed at the same world stage. If the first instalment works commercially and critically, the appetite for further epics only grows.

What fans can actually watch next

• November 5: Ramayana opens worldwide in theatres.
• Diwali 2027: The second instalment is slated to release.
• Spin-offs: Standalone films around Hanuman, Surpanakha, Jatayu, Indrajit and Angad are reportedly in the works.

For now, the Rajamouli-Mahabharata pairing remains a fan theory with good chemistry, not a confirmed project. If it ever becomes real, it will need a formal announcement — and it would instantly become one of Indian cinema’s most-watched stories.

Source: The Times of India