Mahavatar Narsimha Review: A Groundbreaking Mythological Animation from Hombale Films

Vishal waghela
Jul 29
4 min read

Let’s not kid ourselves Adipurush gaslit us. It sold us a dream, shouting from the rooftops about how we keep running to the West for our superheroes while ignoring our own. The result? A bloated, tone-deaf mess I wouldn’t even recommend to someone I mildly tolerate, let alone a close friend.

And then, quietly, Hombale Films walked in. No grand declarations. No chest-thumping. Just clean, well-crafted production and a vision that respects both its roots and its audience. And that is how you earn attention.

I’ve Been Screaming Into the Void About This

If you’ve followed me for a while, you already know I’ve been ranting for years about the absolute goldmine of Indian animation talent that either sits untapped or is forced to look overseas for work. Our industry has been skeletal, almost ghosted in its own home.

And yet, I still do this little thing every time I watch a Hollywood VFX-heavy movie: I wait for the credits, eyes peeled for Indian names. They’re always there. Because the talent exists. But here? The industry is treated like an afterthought.

There was a time when Bollywood tried. We had Chhota Bheem, Dashavatar, The Mahabharat, Return of Hanuman (directed by Anurag Kashyap, mind you), and my personal favorite Arjun: The Warrior Prince. We were building momentum, and then poof no funding, no support, and certainly no courage. We just let it all fizzle out.

Meanwhile, Hollywood kept building billion-dollar franchises off talking toys, dragons, and frozen princesses. Japan and China doubled down on their cultural roots. And us? We fed our kids algorithm-crushed Cocomelon content on loop and gave up.

Enter: Mahavatar Narsimha

When I heard Hombale Films (yeah, the KGF, Kantara, Salaar guys) were entering the animation space with a slate called the Mahavatar Cinematic Universe, I rolled my eyes. Another mythology cash grab?

But damn, was I wrong.

Mahavatar Narsimha is not just good — it’s a statement. It’s the dark horse we didn’t see coming, and if nurtured right, it can become India’s first true 1000-crore animated franchise. No star faces. No borrowed hype. Just soul. And vision.

Director Ashwin Kumar gets it. He’s not here to repackage mythology as a gimmick. He’s here to build. And with a production house that respects craft, the result is a film that feels like a beginning — a literal roar to wake up an entire dormant industry.

The Story You Know, Told Like You’ve Never Seen

The film retells the iconic tale of Hiranyakashyap — the Asur king who defies the Gods, seeks immortality, and is ultimately outwitted by the divine loophole in the form of Lord Narsimha.

But this isn’t a dusty retelling. Ashwin infuses modern storytelling beats, crisp pacing, and epic world-building that can rival any cinematic universe in the making. You’ve got teleportation, divine battleships, power surges that feel straight out of a Tekken-meets-Mortal Kombat fever dream — and yet, it never loses its cultural grounding.

This is not mythology diluted. This is mythology adapted — for an audience that grew up on both Amar Chitra Katha and PS5.

Now, Let’s Be Real It’s Not Perfect

There are problems. Facial expressions feel stock, the mouth movement is often off, and if you’ve watched enough Pixar or DreamWorks, you’ll notice the gap. But let’s be honest — this was probably made on 1/10th the budget of Minions: Rise of Gru.

And yet? It dares to compete.

It’s raw. But it’s not amateur. It’s just the first confident step from an industry that’s been crawling. And I’d rather watch a flawed but sincere Indian animated film than a perfectly rendered hollow product.

The Highs? They’re Sky-High.

Score by Sam C.S. This man doesn’t compose, he summons. His music in Roar of Narsimha had me grinning ear to ear. It lifts scenes into legend. The final battle? Gave me chills.
Dubbing That Demands Respect Let’s normalize celebrating voice actors, shall we? Aditya Raj Sharma as Hiranyakashyap and Harpriya Mata as Prahlad give performances that echo with power and innocence, respectively. Despite the visual hiccups, their voices carry the film.
Themes That Matter This isn’t just good vs evil. It’s about ego vs faith, power vs empathy, tradition vs tyranny. It mirrors our current world in ways that sneak up on you.
Possibility. Pure Possibility. You step out of the theater and your head starts spinning — imagine a Mahabharat trilogy like this. A Ravana origin story. A Kalki arc. Animated. Indian. Loud. Proud.

Why This Matters

Countries build cultural soft power through their stories. Japan did it through anime. Korea through K-dramas. The US through everything.

We? We outsource.

But Mahavatar Narsimha changes the tone. It's not asking for your validation. It’s demanding your attention.

And if you’ve ever complained about “why don’t we make stuff like Pixar” — then show up. Pay for a ticket. Take your little cousin. Or just sit with the inner child who grew up listening to these stories but never got to see them on the big screen.