India, Aug. 4 -- Ranbir Kapoor's Ramayana has emerged as one of the most ambitious Indian films in recent years. Filmmaker Nitesh Tiwari's adaptation aims to bring the epic tale of Lord Ram to audiences worldwide. With its massive scale, star-studded cast and plans for a global release, the film has sparked conversations about whether Indian mythology could finally create a franchise ecosystem similar to Hollywood's biggest fantasy universes.

But according to Sharad Devarajan, co-creator of Spider-Man: India and founder of Graphic India, the comparison with Marvel may not be the right way to look at India's mythology boom. While he believes the current moment is significant for Indian storytelling, Devarajan says the roots of these epic ...