Ashwin Kumar’s mythological animated film Mahavatar Narsimha has kicked off a successful start to Hombale Films’ seven-part Mahavatar Universe. Each film will focus on an avatar of Lord Vishnu. As the first installment earned Rs 7.5 crore over its opening weekend, director Ashwin Kumar talks to SCREEN about his vision for the Mahavatar Universe, why he opted for animation, and mining India’s rich mythology.
Ajay Devgn recently said at the trailer launch of his mythological horror film Maa that unlike Hollywood, which created its own cinematic universes, Indian cinema has the country’s rich mythology to borrow from. Do you think we weren’t using this rich reserve of mythology to create cinematic universes in India?
‘Mythology’ is a Greek term which comes from ‘mythos,’ which means mithya in Sanskrit. Mithya means concocted. I do not feel, in any which way, that we have a concocted past. We have a very strong past. We should celebrate that past, the puranic tales of Bharat. Our puranic tales are very long, deep, and rooted in history. It’s about time we access those, feel proud, and build universes for future generations. It’s very apparent that it wasn’t done that well in the past, but it’s about time that we do it now in the way it should be done.
When was the time you think India lost sight of these stories?
It’s very difficult to point back and it’s very dangerous to blame, at this point, when and why it happened. But we can’t deny it did happen. Let’s say we had a drought of these puranic tales, which were limited to television. We had this entire phase of the Amar Chitra Katha. We’ve lived and revered those, but they haven’t transferred to the new age. There are many factors — the producer, the director, the economic factor, the social factor, the status quo. At the end of the day, why do people go to cinema? Perhaps they want to get away from the pain of their real lives. Or are they going there to have a higher experience? As a director, I have to decide that. They can both be within the director’s prism. And that’s what we strive to do with the Mahavatar Universe.
Apart from the Mahavatar Universe, there’s also Nitesh Tiwari’s two-part Ramayana in the making. Aamir Khan is also planning to develop a 10-part film series on the Mahabharata. Why do you think this is the right time for Indian cinema to tap into Hindu mythology?
Because it’s never enough. There have been so many outtakes and renditions of the same stories. But when you do it based on the shastras authentically, keeping the spirit and the divinity alive, then the idea is to resnoate at not just the individual level, but at the soul level. So that the message, impression, and philosophy go deep into the culture and stay there for a long time. Long ago, you had sculptures in temples, toli performing natak across cities, and the guru-shishya parampara telling these stories from one generation to another. But the times, the media, and the expression have changed, yet the spirit remains the same. And that’s what we seek to do.
There’s a section of society which believes mythology isn’t history. What’s your response to that?
Well, they can keep believe what they have to. You can keep denying your ancient roots. But the fact of the matter is archaeologically too, it’s being proven time and again. And we’re not here looking for validation. We’re not here to compete. For me, it’s as true as my own self, my innate being, and my history. It resonates with me. Why? Because these virtues are what I live by, and many people do so around the land of Bharat. We’ll continue to do so. That’s what’s made this civilization survive through so many desperate injunctions and reparations we’ve faced as a culture.
Coming to Mahavatar Narsimha, it’s a classic underdog tale since it pits the hero against so many odds. Hiranyakashyap enjoys so many divine immunities that it makes him an insurmountable enemy. Did you approach the film through this lens?
It’s poetic justice. Everybody on this planet, even today, and especially in India, wants to circumvent the system. But ultimately, the government thrashes you for doing wrong. So, this is very coherent in the systems of the universe from time immemorial. Ultimately, the universe will fall into balance. No matter how much you bypass the system, dharma will take its own course. The dharma here is being represented by Lord Vishnu, who takes the avatar of Narsimha.
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Hirankashyap is also a devotee who worships Brahma. We’ve also seen it in the Ramayana that Ravana is a Shiva devotee, but he gets penalized at the end because of his actions. So does that indicate that you can’t get away with anything just because you’re protected by God?
Being a devotee doesn’t spare you from not having a right moral compass. The understanding is both Ravana and Hirankashyap are powerful beings, but their chitta or conscience is not in the right place because they’re ruled by ahankar or ego. They have great pride and lust. For Hirankashyap, there’s also a sense of revenge. He feels victimized, which is why he asks Lord Brahma to give him certain boons. But that doesn’t make him a devotee. What makes Prahlada a devotee, however, is despite having no power, and Hirankashyap having the ultimate power, the boon is almost transferred. That means there’s something far bigger at play.
Prahlada is almost like a co-protagonist. Narsimha is the hero of this story, but he comes in only towards the end of the film. So how did you strike the balance between these two protagonists?
You have to understand that Bhakt Prahlada is the representation of that faith. He’s at the centre of the narration. If you cut off his bhakti from the story, there’s no Narsimha coming. It’s his invocation of Lord Vishnu that makes Narsimha possible. Prahlada is weaving the story. It’s again poetic because although the boon is with Hirankashyap, the one who’s getting saved again and again is Prahlada.
Why did you opt for animation instead of live-action for this story?
We’ve put so much at stake even for an animated feature. Had it been a live-action feature, I don’t know how much more would be at stake. It would’ve been a much more expensive affair. That aside, the animation medium gives me the power to exaggerate. The kind of fantastical world we’re building, and the creatures and divine beings we’re showing, I feel cannot be justified only through animation.
Ever since we’ve seen the introduction of Nitesh Tiwari’s Ramayana, we’ve been debating whether Ranbir Kapoor and Yash makes for an apt Rama and Ravana, respectively. Do you think the animated format allows you to escape that discourse?
Yes, that’s true. For us, Narsimha Swami is our hero. There’s a pro and con to everything. So from where I see it, in India, we have a habit of projecting the God onto the actor and the actor onto the God. That’s something which is difficult to escape. Since we went with animation, we were able to move away from that. That’s an advantage we have.
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Indian mythology is quite big on animation. We’ve seen how popular Chhota Bheem became. Is that also a factor you considered?
Our idea is to break the stereotype that animation is only for children. That it’s just a cartoon. That’s not the segment we’re targeting. We’re targeting something much more serious, epic, and bigger, like building a cinematic world. We’ve not used motion-capture tools, but everything is handcrafted with a labour of love. Everything is enacted by the animators using a lot of physics and cinematic animation tools and effects.
Also Read — Mahavatar Narsimha movie review: Epic in scale, uneven in execution
Finally, what do you think the Gen-Z can pick up from Mahavtar Narsimha?
This will instill a lot of faith in them. A lot of them are going through depression and anxiety. They’ll be a lot more appreciative of who they are and have pride in what they can be. Because if you believe in what this is, you believe in your relationship in the divine. Once you find that, you’re stable in life. You can’t take away the ups and downs from life, but what truly matters is that you’re anchored. And this film is going to help you find your anchor.
