# Anjali Arora’s casting as Sita in Ramayan film sparks backlash 2026-08-19T19:11:16+00:00 | Entertainment | Indian Opinion Desk Corroboration: 2 independent outlets Social media influencer Anjali Arora, known for the viral Kacha Badam video and Lock Upp, has been cast as Mata Sita in the upcoming film Mahakavya Shri Ramayan Katha, Shri Ram Ki. The film's teaser, released on Tuesday, triggered widespread criticism online. Hindustan Times reports that many users called the casting a 'cruel joke on people's beliefs' and 'pure mockery', with some comparing it to the backlash faced by Om Raut's Adipurush. M9.news reports that opinions remain divided, with some appreciating the effort to present the Ramayana to a younger audience while others questioned the casting based on Arora's reality TV and social media fame. Directed by Abhishek Singh, the film also stars Dev Sharma as Lord Ram and is produced by Prakash Mahobiya and Sanjay Bundela. It is scheduled for a theatrical release in Hindi and Chhattisgarhi on September 25, 2026. ## Indian Opinion Analysis Hindustan Times leads with the outrage, quoting Reddit users calling it 'blasphemy' and 'pure mockery', framing the casting as an affront to religious sentiment. M9.news takes a softer, more balanced tone, noting divided opinions and contextualising the controversy alongside similar debates over Sai Pallavi and Kriti Sanon in other Ramayana projects. Both sources agree on the backlash, but Hindustan Times sensationalises the negative reactions while M9.news frames it as a natural part of audience scrutiny. The measured read: the film is one of multiple Ramayana adaptations in production, and social media outrage is standard for such casting, with the true reception only clear after release. ## Coverage Coverage: 2 sources, 1 neutral, 1 sensationalist - hindustantimes.com (sensationalist) Leads with user outrage calling it 'pure mockery' and 'blasphemy', framing the casting as a cruel joke - m9.news (neutral report) Reports mixed reactions without leading with outrage, notes divided opinions and contextualises with other Ramayana films This story was synthesised by AI from the 2 sources linked above. Updated: this story now draws on 2 sources. Last updated 2026-08-20T03:58:09+00:00. Tags: Abhishek Singh, Adipurush, Anjali Arora, Dev Sharma, Mahakavya Shri Ramayan Katha Canonical: https://indianopinion.org/anjali-aroras-sita-casting-sparks-backlash-online/ License: Summary and commentary (c) Indian Opinion, reusable with attribution. Facts belong to the linked sources. Cite: https://indianopinion.org/anjali-aroras-sita-casting-sparks-backlash-online/#story-in-brief How this brief was made: an AI model read the reports linked above and wrote this summary and analysis, which were published automatically. Published briefs are sampled every hour by an automated quality check; the editor verifies its findings and approves corrections, and corrected briefs carry a dated correction line. Stance labels are editorial classifications of how each outlet framed this story, assigned by the same model, not ratings of the outlets. We do no original reporting. Methodology: https://indianopinion.org/ai-use-policy/