Mahavatar Narsimha, a film from Hombale Films and Kleem Productions, released on July 25, 2025, is the first in the Mahavatar Cinematic Universe. Directed by Ashwin Kumar and presented in Telugu by Geetha Arts, this pan-India film brings to life the story of Lord Vishnu’s Narasimha and Varaha avatars, around the legend of Prahlada and Hiranyakashipu. With good visuals and a devotional content, the film is for all ages. Here’s the review..
Plot Overview
The story of Mahavatar Narsimha is from Hindu mythology from the Bhagavatam, Vishnu Purana and Narasimha Purana. It starts with the birth of the demon brothers Hiranyaksha and Hiranyakashipu, born to Kashyapa Muni and Diti due to a union at an inauspicious time. Raised by their guru, Shukracharya, to hate Lord Vishnu, the brothers go on a rampage across the universe. Hiranyaksha’s tyranny makes Vishnu take the Varaha (boar) avatar to kill him and Hiranyakashipu’s hatred towards Vishnu makes him ask a boon from Brahma and he becomes almost invincible. But Prahlada’s unwavering devotion to Vishnu sets the stage for a big drama and finally Vishnu takes the Narasimha (half man half lion) avatar to protect his devotee and restore balance. The story is about faith, good vs evil and divine intervention and is both spiritual and action packed.
Strengths
Mahavatar Narsimha is a big step forward for Indian animation and has some global standards in parts. The world building is excellent, and the heavenly and demonic realms are so immersive. The first 40 minutes are strong, the Varaha avatar sequence is a thrilling ride with high energy action scenes. The climax with Narasimha’s grand entry is a highlight, designed to give you goosebumps with the action and emotions. The depiction of Prahlada’s devotion and Vishnu’s divine interventions is made to resonate with the audience, especially the Lord Vishnu devotees. Sam CS’s background score and situational songs are good in key moments; the production design by Hombale Films and Kleem Productions is a good effort to bring mythology to life. The animation, especially in the second half, is vibrant and well choreographed, it’s a treat in 3D.
Weaknesses
Despite all the grandeur, the movie has its share of issues. The second half slows down after a good start, with songs breaking the devotional flow. Some scenes lack emotional depth and the build up to the climax could have been more dramatic. Holika’s character in Hiranyakashipu’s sister subplot is not developed well and some threads are left loose. Animation is good in parts, but has some glitches in a few scenes and the Telugu dubbing is out of sync at times. Tighter editing in the first half would have made the storytelling more cohesive.
Technical Aspects
Director Ashwin Kumar deserves a thumbs up for creating a fantasy world that’s grand and believable. Suresh Ragutu and Gnanashekar V.S.’s cinematography is beautiful, Sam CS’s music is emotional and devotional and the VFX and CGI is a big achievement for Indian animation, especially in the action sequences. But the editing by Ashwin Kumar and Ajay Verma could have been tighter in the first half to keep the momentum going. The production values are high, as Hombale Films is known for quality, but the budget constraints are visible in some of the animation parts.
Performances
As an animated film, Mahavatar Narsimha relies on voice performances to bring the characters to life. Aditya Raj Sharma (Hiranyakashipu), Haripriya Matta (Prahlada) and Harjeet Walia (Narasimha) do a good job of their characters; they bring in the emotions and gravity. But minor lip sync issues take away from the immersion. The ensemble, including the voices of Vishnu, Diti and other characters, adds to the depth, but the focus remains on the trio of Hiranyakashipu, Prahlada and Narasimha.
Verdict
Mahavatar Narsimha is a good attempt to retell a mythological story through animation, a visual and spiritual treat for all, especially kids and Vishnu devotees. It has some pacing issues and minor technical problems, but the climax, world building and story is good. Ashwin Kumar and Hombale Films have laid a good foundation for the Mahavatar Cinematic Universe. Watch in 3D on good screens for the best experience.