Will Mahavatar Narsimha’s ₹300-cr success reshape Indian cinema?

The success of Mahavatar Narsimha, an animated mythological epic that was released without promotions or marketing this July and eventually grossed ₹300 crore, has proven to be a turning point, given animation’s long history of poor theatrical performance in the country.

- Lata Jha [e-mail]

So far synonymous with cartoons, theatre owners and trade experts say the combination of animation with mythology can attract adults and families beyond children, and resonate with ideas of common cultural identity that live-action hits such as Chhaava have also benefited from. Furthermore, animation also helps mythological films avoid the pitfalls of live-action movies, including high star fees and costume and production expenses, in order to maintain authenticity, as well as scrutiny on visual interpretation. Animation films have not grossed more than ₹20-30 crore at the box office in India.