Mahavatar Narsimha on OTT: Netizens in awe of ‘divine’ experience, but wonder how it got a U/A 13+ rating despite violence and gore

The blockbuster animated film Mahavatar Narsimha, that explores both the third and the fourth avatars of lord Vishnu – Varaha and Narsimha – dropped on OTT on September 19, after a supremely successful box office stint that saw it amassing Rs 325 cr world wide. Much like its theatrical outing too, the film by Ashwin Kumar has been receiving a lot of love for the ‘divine’ experience meted out, but audiences also wonder how the film managed to get away with a U/A 13+ rating, given the amount of bloodshed the mahavatar unleashes. This was a concern raised during the theatrical release also.

Mahavatar Narsimha: Visually stunning, but lots of violence

“Family film, but with a lot of gore and violence. Visually stunning, but animated poorly. Made with a lot of love, heart and passion,” wrote a netizen, while another added that the film is not for children, “High violence scenes a concern”. The film features graphic violence as the Narsimha avatars tears through Hiranyakashipu’s demon army, slicing bodies in half, beheading others with his claws and ripping out their spines, with blood gushing everywhere. A live action film with this kind of gore would have received a harsher rating, say netizens.

That apart, by and large, audiences are happy with the depiction of the story, although the animation could have been better. Mahavatar Narsimha, though, is a film that Ashwin took 5 years to make because it was a home production, with the initial budget estimated at around Rs 15 crore, which then went up to Rs 40 crore, including marketing and release expenses. Now that he has more money at his disposal, rest assured that the next film in the franchise will boast much better workmanship.

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

Mahavatar Narsimha is the first in a 7-film franchise that Ashwin has charted out. The filmmaker will not go down the live-action path, as he believes that animation allows him to express without limitations. Casting a star, he adds, will take away from the story and the efforts that have gone into the making. Ashwin is aware that he’s not given audiences the best animation possible yet, but this film is a step in that direction.

FAQs

Q. What is the Mahavatar series?

A. It is a proposed 7-film series, focusing on the avatars of Lord Vishnu. The first in the series was Mahavatar Narsimha. Up next is Mahavatar Parshuram.

Q. Who has made the Mahavatar Narsimha film?

A. Written and conceptualized by Ashwin Kumar, under his home banner, in association with the makers of KGF and Kantara.

Q. Where can I see Mahavatar Narsimha on OTT?

A. Mahavatar Narsimha ended a successful 50-day theatrical run and headed to Netflix, where it began streaming from September 19, 12.30 pm onward.