Director Ashwin Kumar of Mahavatar Narsimha has spoken candidly about the evolution of mythological cinema in India, emphasizing the lessons learned from past missteps and the growing hunger for culturally rooted stories.
Reflecting on the failure of Om Raut’s Adipurush, Ashwin termed it as “an attempt that went wrong,” noting, “There’s a lot of science and math to it that’s already out there, so no comments. But I understand what they were trying to do.” Despite the film’s shortcomings, he believes such experiences serve as valuable industry lessons. “The good part is, the people of this land keep giving us a chance to tell the same story time and again because these are eternal stories,” he said, expressing hope that upcoming projects like Ramayana will find better success.
Ashwin showed enthusiasm for the much-awaited Ramayana duology, which is reportedly being made on a massive ₹4,000 crore budget. “I liked the teaser. I really pray and hope they do a brilliant turnaround industry event with that scale,” he said. However, he was quick to add that a large budget alone isn’t enough: “More important than just a budget is the feeling the film carries. It’s a piece of art… and how you depict art is what matters.”
Speaking about his own vision, Ashwin said the Mahavatar Cinematic Universe aims to deliver a cinematic, spiritual, and transcendent experience. He views it as a platform to present Bharat’s timeless narratives through a modern, artistic lens.
Pointing to the success of Baahubali, RRR, and Kantara, Ashwin said these films prove that audiences are craving authentic Indian stories. “There’s a vacuum for this kind of flavour, because this is Bharat Bhoomi. These stories are embedded in our DNA,” he noted. “And when they surge, even in a small way, they blow up. There is clearly a strong demand.”
He concluded with a call to action for the Indian film industry: “It’s new-age cinema by new-age Bharatiyas, for the stories of Bharat, for the people of Bharat. We may be constrained in budgets, but we are not constrained in imagination. Our DNA, our stories, have the power to resonate worldwide. It’s time we embrace that.”
