'Mahavatar Narsimha': Makers Says Second Franchise Film 'Parshuram' Will Be 'On A Scale Never Experienced Before'

With a reported haul of ₹118.5 crore at the Indian box-office, Mahavatar Narsimha has turned the tide for Indian animation, paving the way for big, broad-chested experiments that don't just cater to the kiddie market. At a success meet for the film, held on the premises of the ISKCON Temple in Juhu, Mumbai, director Ashwin Kumar expressed his gratitude and shared his plans for the franchise's future.

Ashwin said that the next instalment in the Mahavatar Cinematic Universe, Mahavatar Parshuram, teased at the end of Narsimha, will be completed in two years' time. While adhering to the original 3-D animation format, the second offering in the seven-film franchise will be mounted on a much grander scale, both thematically and technologically, the director promised.

"If you look at the technological advances available today, we did not have those facilities when we started. The first film was made on a limited budget (approx. 15 crore). Animation technology becomes obsolete faster than you can think." These constraints will be eased as the second instalment enters development, considering the wide pool of resources — and financial clout — at the maker's disposal.

"People have high expectations, so we also need to up our game. We have the tech and the artists to dish it out faster. Two years is what we are looking at. Mahavatar Parshuram will be something never seen before, on a scale that has never been experienced before. That is my promise."

The filmmaker also spoke about the encouraging global response to the film. Shows were extended in North America after a successful run, while the film released in Australia and New Zealand on August 7.

"The reception for Mahavatar Narasimha is fantastic across the world," Ashwin shared. "Especially from US, we're getting exactly the same kind of videos —of people taking off their chappals, doing kirtan, going to the cinema like it's a temple."

The film's success, he hopes, transforms Indian animation into a global pop-cultural phenomenon, as manga and anime has done for Japan.

"With open-source animation tech and the overall democratisation of technology, it's not too far away when you will see independent creators from India break the mould," he said. "In the next five years, you will have around five people sitting in their garage, making a film that does a 1000 crores. It is going to happen, mark my words."

The Mahavatar success meet was also attended Hombale Films’ Co-Founder Chaluve Gowda, veteran film distributor Anil Thadani and and producer Shilpa Kumar. Presented by Hombale Films and produced by Kleem Productions, the film was released in five Indian languages on July 25.