JioHotstar’s AI-made Indian mythological microdrama receives mixed response online

Mahabharat: Ek Dharmayudh has not been well received

JioHotstar has claimed to be leading India’s “AI entertainment revolution” with the recent launch of a fully AI produced microdrama based on Indian mythology, however the content has faced a backlash online.

Mahabharat: Ek Dharmayudh launched on the streamer, which was formed by the merger between JioCinema and Disney+ Hotstar earlier this year, on October 25.

Produced by Mumbai-based Collective Media Network, the microdrama features hundreds of episodes a few minutes long and is described as the “first ever premium entertainment series fully powered by AI.”

It tells the mythological story based on the Sanskrit epic Mahabharata and is part of Collective Media Network’s ‘Historyverse’ strategy to bring Indian mythology to audiences online using AI.

JioHotstar has said the series has garnered 6.5 million video views since its launch and it reflects its “commitment to shaping the next era of entertainment, where machine intelligence empowers human creativity shaping the next leap in storytelling innovation.”

However, the show has received a largely negative response online, with the top comment on the show’s official trailer on YouTube stating “We Don’t Want Fully AI Based Films…Especially Mahabharat…” receiving over 2,600 likes.

JioHotstar said the show “has set the blueprint for AI driven content where technology doesn’t replace creativity, but amplifies it, enabling creators to imagine storytelling and characters beyond conventional limits.”

But many have criticised the use of AI to tell stories from Indian mythology, which are drawn from the Hindu religion and explain its beliefs and customs through tales of gods, goddesses and heroes.

On Reddit, comments have included ‘This is AI slop. Yikes’ and ‘This is just disrespectful to literally everyone.’

It comes as an increasing number of Indian companies use AI in their production processes, with Vikram Malhotra’s Abundantia Entertainment in India this week launching a division dedicated to creating, developing and producing stories powered by AI.

As part of C21’s Content India Summit held in March, industry delegates addressed a wide array of pressing issues shaping the future of the Indian entertainment landscape, including the use of AI.