India may be looking at a potential Oscar nomination at the upcoming Academy Awards which will be held next year on March 16. Though the official shortlist will be announced on December 16, 2025, mythological animated feature Mahavatar Narsimha directed by Ashwin Kumar is one of 35 films eligible for the prestigious award ceremony.
Currently, it is competing with 35 international titles such as Netflix’s breakout hit Kpop Demon Hunters, Zooptopia 2, Chainsaw Man, Elio and Ne Zha 2 among many others. With intense contention in the animated category this year due to several high-profile titles dominating predictions, should Mahavatar Narsimha be shortlisted by the Academy, it could get India its very first animated feature Oscar.
How did Mahavatar Narsimha qualify for the Oscars?
Mahavatar Narsimha, which tells the story of two avatars of Lord Vishnu – Varaha and Narsimha, was released in theatres on July 25, 2025 in 2D and 3D, becoming one of the highest grossing films of the year – it earned upwards of Rs 400 crores globally as per industry tracker Sacnilk. After a successful theatrical run, it was picked up by OTT giant Netflix, which bought its streaming rights for the platform.
The reason Mahavatar Narsimha qualifies for the upcoming Oscars is due to its commercial run in the United States. The Academy requires that qualifying films have a minimum commercial run of seven consecutive days in one venue, with at least three screenings per day and one between 6PM – 10 PM. As Mahavatar Narsimha fulfills this criteria, it has a fair shot at a nomination.
About the film
Mahavatar Narsimha was conceptualised and shot by director Ashwin Kumar under his home banner and is the first installment in a planned seven-part series. The production company that Kumar worked in tandem with to create the feature, Hombale Films, is the same one behind chart-toppers like 2022’s KGF and Kantara and this year’s Kantara: Chapter 1.
The movie had a budget of Rs 40 crore and managed to make over 10x its budget when it earned over Rs 400 crore at the global Box Office. Domestically, it raked in Rs 325 crore in India net collections as per Sacnilk and has been this year’s most lucrative animated Indian feature.
