Mahavatar Narsimha enters Oscars 2026 race for best animated film

Hyderabad: Hombale Films’ Mahavatar Narsimha, directed by Ashwin Kumar, has officially become eligible for the 2026 Oscars in the Best Animated Feature Film category. If selected as a final nominee, it would be the first Indian animated film ever to enter this category. This marks a major achievement for Indian animation.

Among 35 Global Contenders

The Academy has shortlisted 35 animated films this year. Only five will become official nominees. Mahavatar Narsimhanow competes with several major international titles.

Full List of 35 Eligible Animated Films

•  Mahavatar Narsimha
•  KPop Demon Hunters
•  Demon Slayer Infinity Castle
•  The Bad Guys 2
•  Chainsaw Man The Movie Reze Arc
•  Zootopia 2
•  Elio
• In Your Dreams
• Little Amelie or the Character of Rain
•  Arco
•  The SpongeBob Movie Search for SquarePants
•  The Twits
•  Ne Zha 2
•  Flow
•  The Bad Guys The Last Chapter
•  The Tiger’s Apprentice
•  Migration
•  Ultraman Rising
•  Inside Out 2
•  Despicable Me 4
•  Orion and the Dark
•  Monster Summer
•  Leo
•  Spellbound
•  That Christmas
•  Transformers One
•  The Garfield Movie
•  Angry Birds Mystery Island
•  Wish Dragon 2
•  The Imaginary
•  Robot Dreams
•  Zelda Echoes of Destiny
•  Panda Plan
•  Blue Giant International Cut
•  Rabbithole Friends Forever

A Worldwide Box Office Success

Released in India on July 25, the film expanded to Sri Lanka, Australia, Malaysia, and Europe by July 31. Mahavatar Narsimha performed exceptionally well, earning more than 300 crore rupees worldwide. Made on a budget of around 40 crore rupees, it later moved to Netflix after completing a 50 day theatrical run.

A Timeless Myth Told with Modern Animation

The movie retells the story of Prahlada, a devoted follower of Lord Vishnu, and his father Hiranyakashipu, a powerful king blessed with near immortality. When the king’s cruelty grows out of control, Lord Vishnu appears as Narasimha, his half man and half lion avatar, to protect Prahlada and restore balance.

Beginning of the Mahavatar Cinematic Universe

The film is produced by Shilpa Dhawan, Kushal Desai, and Chaitanya Desai under Kleem Productions. It features music by Sam CS and a screenplay by Jayapurna Das and Rudra Pratap Ghosh. Mahavatar Narsimha is the first film in Hombale Films’ planned Mahavatar Cinematic Universe, which will focus on the ten avatars of Vishnu. The next film, Mahavatar Parashuram, is scheduled for release in 2027.