Modern bedside table in AI Mahabharata has Internet fuming

The new series Mahabharat: Ek Dharmayudh has caused quite a stir online, and not for the reasons its creators expected. The show, promoted as India’s first major mythological drama created using artificial intelligence, has drawn attention for a small but glaring mistake in its first episode.

Internet has a lot to say about the modern bedside table in the AI Mahabharata

Viewers noticed a neat wooden bedside table placed beside Draupadi’s bed, complete with a lamp that looked as though it had come straight from a modern home store. Within hours of the episode’s release, screenshots of the scene began circulating on Reddit, Instagram and Twitter.

On Reddit, one viewer wrote, “Arjuna’s room looks like it’s furnished by Urban Ladder.” Another joked, “Even IKEA existed in Hastinapur, apparently.” Instagram meme pages picked it up soon after, with captions like “Mahabharata with mood lighting.” Many laughed at the absurdity, while others called it careless and disrespectful to the source material.

The mistake has become a symbol of a wider concern. The entire series has been created through AI tools, with minimal involvement from designers or animators. As a result, some visuals feel misplaced. Along with the bedside table, users pointed out metal utensils, tiled walls and faint city skylines that clearly belong to the present day.

JioStar has described the project as an experiment in digital creativity. But the response online shows that viewers are not entirely convinced. Several comments suggest that using AI without a human artist’s judgement leads to scenes that look technically polished but emotionally flat.

Across social media, the discussion has grown beyond the table itself. People are debating whether technology can truly handle stories that carry cultural and spiritual weight. The Mahabharata has been retold in countless forms over the years, yet few have divided audiences quite like this one.

(Story by Esha Aphale)

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