Mahavatar Narsimha enters Oscars as India's first eligible Animated Feature Film!

Indian produced Hombale Films creation, Mahavatar Narsimha, has become eligible for consideration in the Best Animated Feature Film category at the 98th Academy Awards (Oscars 2026). If it makes the final list of nominees (the five films), it would be the first Indian animated feature film in history to be nominated in that category, marking a massive breakthrough for the country's animation industry.

The film met the Academy's criteria by having a qualifying commercial theatrical run in the United States. This typically requires a minimum of seven consecutive days in one venue with specific screening times. It is one of approximately 35 films on the eligibility list, competing against major international titles like Zootopia 2, KPop Demon Hunters, Elio and Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba Infinity Castle.

The film is a mythological epic that tells the story of the fourth avatar of Lord Vishnu, Narasimha (the half-man, half-lion incarnation), and the story of his devotee Prahlad and the tyrant king Hiranyakashipu. It also covers the story of the Varaha Avatar.

The film is directed by Ashwin Kumar, a debut filmmaker and produced by Kleem Productions and is presented by Hombale Films. The film was made on a budget of approximately ₹40 crore and went on to become a massive commercial success, earning over ₹300 crore domestically and over ₹400 crore globally, making it the highest-grossing Indian animated film.

It had its theatrical release on July 25, 2025, in multiple languages (Hindi, Kannada, Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam). Mahavatar Narsimha is planned as the first installment in a major seven-part animated series called the Mahavatar Cinematic Universe. The planned future installments include Mahavatar Parashuram (scheduled for 2027), Mahavatar Raghunandan (2029), Mahavatar Dwarkadhish (2031), Mahavatar Gokulananda (2033) and Mahavatar Kalki (Part 1 in 2035, Part 2 in 2037).

Besides this, India is also looking forward to Homebound for Best Picture. The Academy will announce the final shortlists in mid-December 2025 and the final nominations in January 2026. The official submissions from India is competing against entries from 86 countries for the final 5 nomination slots.

This category is historically dominated by the largest US studios (like Disney/Pixar, which have immense campaign budgets and a strong Academy history) and established Japanese animation powerhouses. Mahavatar Narsimha is competing directly with films like Zootopia 2 and major anime titles. Indian animation has never been nominated in this category before, meaning it lacks an established track record or branch support to rely on. For both films, making the final five-film nomination list would be considered a monumental success and a huge victory for Indian cinema on the global stage. Winning would be historic.

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