Mahavatar Narsimha maker Ashwin Kumar on why he chose to start with the fourth avatar

Filmmakers across the country have, time and again, been fascinated by Indian mythology, including the stories behind the different avatars of Lord Vishnu. Rishab Shetty touched upon Varaha in Kantara and there have been several iterations of Rama. One of them, Mahavatar Narsimha, an animated feature by Ashwin Kumar, delves into the tale of the half man half lion incarnation and his battle with the demon Hiranyakashipu to protect a devotee called Prahlada. Ashwin spent close to 5 years on the making of the film, which Hombale Films is bringing to theatres on July 25, 2025.

Why did he choose to begin this filmi journey with the fourth avatar, Narasimha? “Every avatar is important, as is their divine leela. But it is for a reason. Some leelas are shown in a long story and some are short stories. As a film, you have to make it an interesting packet, right? The Matsya avatar leela and the Kurma avatar leela stories are very important, but they are short stories and you cannot mount an entire film on them. They can be a part of other films. The idea of a Mahavatar universe is that you can enjoy any film from any point,” explained Ashwin in conversation with TAG.

The filmmaker adds that the plan is to allow audiences to watch films in no particular order, but eventually, it will all lead to a cycle. The inspiration for Mahavatar Narsimha, explains Ashwin, came from reading relevant sections of the Vishnu Purana, Narsimha Purana and Srimad Bhagavatam.

Also read: Mahavatar Narsimha maker Ashwin Kumar: This is not the best animation in the world, but it’s a step towards that direction 

Ashwin adds that when he saw Narsimha Swamy come alive on the screen, it was a very satisfying and humbling experience. “I never thought that it could be done. Seeing it manifest and the response to the trailer has made me happy that the intent of the film - to touch people’s hearts – has been fulfilled,” he adds.