Mahavatar Narsimha movie review: Our gods really know how to do Avenger thing

Indian Express

25-07-2025

The story of Bhakt Prahlad is one of the most joyful amongst all our Puranas, with its battle between good and evil, gods and demons, strong and weak. It is epic for all the right reasons.
Having been blessed by a clutch of boons by Lord Brahma after a 'ghor tapasaya' (difficult penance), the mighty 'asur' Hiranakashyap has become invincible. The 'devtas' have fled, leaving him free to wreak havoc in the universe. The only one with the courage to stand up to him is his own son, Prahlad, whose devotion to Lord Vishnu stays unwavering through all the troubles he has to face on his father's orders.
There have been many iterations of this beloved story. No surprises that this latest version, from Hombale Productions' (KGF, Kantara) goes big: everything is scaled up massively, castles, mountains, skies, the rakshasas and their weapons. I saw the 2D version, and while some of it is impressive, the proportions seemed a bit off: in one scene, a gigantic nose on one side of the screen towers over the tiny figures below. And despite the size, the animation doesn't feel as sophisticated as it should, in 2025, especially since we've got so used to watching all those spiffy Marvel outings.
The other problem is the antiquated way the characters are made to speak. Prahlad, who is more-fair-skinned than his young demon counterparts, lilts rather than speaks (an abiding problem with most of our animation films), and uses such words as 'apitu', 'kadapi' etc. So do the elders. If you want to reel in today's kids, how about contemporising the writing?
Some of the episodes, like the one in which Prahlad is saved from the wrath of angry elephants, are fun. In fact, whenever fun becomes the strongest element and the veneration is dialled back, the film springs to life. The last 30 minutes are a humdinger, where relentless pace and grand computer graphics unite to create a most kinetic, satisfying finale: Vishnu avatar Narasimha, half-lion half human, appears, and sets about taking Hiranyakashyap apart.
Mahavatar Narsimha movie trailer:
The end comes even as the vardaan's (boon) promise stays unbroken. Not in day, or night (it's evening), not in home or outside (it's the door-sill), not on land or water (it's Narsimha's thigh), and with an almighty roar, Hiranyakashyap becomes history. Or rather, finds honourable place in our varied, colourful mythological cannon, the most engaging in the world.
The climax is world-class, even if ultra-violent, with body parts and blood flowing generously. Trigger warning for small kids. And yourself, if you are faint-hearted. But hey, demons being torn to pieces feels as if justice has been done: our gods really know how to do the Avengers thing.
Multilingual animation in Kannada, Hindi, Telugu, Tamil, Malayalam
Mahavatar Narsimha movie director: Ashwin Kumar
Mahavatar Narsimha movie rating: 2.5 stars