India’s first stereoscopic 3D animated film tells the story of Prahlad and Lord Narasimha — director Ashwin Kumar explains why Bharat needs its own Marvel universe.

Mahavatar Narasimhan is India’s first stereoscopic 3D animated film, selected at the Goa Film Festival among the top 5 Hindi films alongside Article 370 and 12th Fail, felicitated at the Museum of Sacred Arts in Belgium, and honoured at the Temple of Vedic Planetarium. Director Ashwin Kumar traces the film’s origins to a personal spiritual transformation — from confirmed atheist to devotee — and a simple recognition: if Indian audiences are to embody Prahlad rather than Hiranyakashyap as their cultural ideal, someone has to tell that story in a language today’s global generation understands.

The film draws from Srimad Bhagavatam, Vishnu Purana, Narasimha Purana, Varaha Purana, and Padma Purana, embedding authentic Narasimha sthalas (including one now in Pakistan) throughout the narrative. Mahavatar is envisioned as the first of a Dashavatar cinematic universe — India’s answer to Marvel — proving that India’s ancient stories contain every ingredient of the greatest superhero epics ever told.

About The Speakers:

Ashwin Kumar is the director of “Mahavatar Narasimha” and founder of Kleem Productions, pioneering the creation of Indian animated spiritual content. His vision extends beyond this film to creating the entire Dashavatar series, bringing all ten avatars of Lord Vishnu to global audiences.

Anamika works as an associate with the Garuda Publications.