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India.com
9 hours ago
- India.com
This film, which has released recently, recovered half budget on its opening day, got rating of 9.8 on Book My Show and IMDb, movie is...
A thunderous blockbuster shattered all expectations on its opening day, boasting record-breaking audience ratings online and unprecedented early ticket sales, setting social media and entertainment platforms abuzz with awe. Which film is this? Here we are talking about 'Mahavatar Narsimha,' the animated spectacle of 2025 produced by Kleem Productions and presented by Hombale Films. Built as the first installment of an ambitious seven-film mythological franchise, it reimagines Lord Vishnu's avatar Narasimha in grand, visually stunning detail. Directed by Ashwin Kumar and produced by Shilpaa Dhawan, Kushal Desai, and Chaitanya Desai, the film delivers a lavish cinematic experience that resonates across generations. Why is Mahavatar Narsimha trending? The film made history by earning an astonishing 9.8/10 rating on both IMDb and BookMyShow, and a perfect 5/5 on Google—rare feats in Indian cinema. Such unanimous acclaim reflects the film's exceptional storytelling, technical innovation, and deep cultural resonance. Although official production budgets haven't been disclosed, the grandeur and quality suggest a high-cost animation venture. Despite this, early box office reports point to a massive success—sold-out shows, high occupancy rates, and full bookings on platforms like BookMyShow underline its market dominance. The film's outreach extended beyond theaters, trending across social media with clips, discussions, and fan excitement driving sustained interest. The power-packed line-up of Hombale Films Hombale Films, best known for monstrous projects like KGF, Salaar, Kantara, Bagheera and other renowned films, is now set to become one of the most enduring mythological projects in Indian cinema, Mahavatar Narsimha will launch a cinematic universe with films releasing every two years until 2037, covering avatars including Narasimha, Parshuram, Gokulananda, and Kalki. The line up features the story of ten divine incarnations of Lord Vishnu over the next decade. This universe will start with Mahavtar Narasimha (2025), followed by Mahavtar Parashurama (2027), Mahavtar Raghunandan (2029), Mahavtar Dwarkadhish (2031), Mahavtar Gokulananda (2033), Mahavtar Kalki Part 1 (2035) and Mahavtar Kalki Part 2 (2037). This universe will present Indian mythology to the audience with new technology and grandeur. Mahavatar Narsimha isn't just an animated feature; it's a celebration of cultural event, raising the bar for Indian visual storytelling, fan engagement, and cinema history. With stunning visuals, immersive mythic depth, and record-breaking ratings from the outset, the film carved out its success through content that spoke to the soul and spectacle that thrived in scale.
Indian Express
a day ago
- Indian Express
Portrait of a writer: The refugee, ‘pagal' and Bollywood star who is bringing Manto to Pune
Lakshmi Mansion, an old building in the iconic Mall Road of Lahore, used to attract a certain kind of people, who came asking for 'Hazrat Manto'. They had turned the Indo-Pakistani writer Saadat Hasan Manto into a pir (holy man). One day, a young theatre actor from Delhi turned up at the door, looking for memories, anecdotes, and a feeling. He stayed with the family and had long conversations with them, visited the grave of Manto, and slept where the writer used to sit. 'Tum jaisa pagal nahi dekha hai koi (I have not seen a crazy person like you),' Manto's daughter, Nighat Patel, told him. The actor was Ashwath Bhatt, whose intense eyes had witnessed untold horrors in his own homeland. Bhatt was a part of the Kashmiri Pandit exodus from Srinagar in the early 1990s. As refugees, his family was struggling badly. He himself was disturbed, angry, and a mess. That's when Bhatt happened to pick up a book by Manto. 'When I read it, it just hit me out of the blue. It was like a big, big jolt. I wondered who this guy was. All I was seeing in my environment at that time of my life, if I use one word, it would be 'hypocrisy'. I related a lot to what this chap, Manto, was saying,' says Bhatt. It was also a time that Bhatt was growing into theatre, the only space where he used to forget all his insecurities and troubles and just focus on the rehearsal or whatever exercises his director had asked him to do. He did a play of a Manto story, Thanda Gosht, which was a runaway hit in Delhi. It was only a matter of time before Bhatt would think of a play that would be not only about Manto's stories but the writer himself. Ek Mulaqat Manto Se was born in 1998, whose first audiences were Bhatt's friends at the National School of Drama (NSD), India's top theatre training academy. Bhatt, though, did not stage the play publicly. He kept developing it, researching every nuance, adding and honing its details. He stayed with the story even as he graduated from NSD and was selected to join the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art. At last, in 2002, Ek Mulaqat Manto Se opened at the Nehru Centre in London to acclaim. Bhatt, now a famous Bollywood actor based in Mumbai, will bring the play to Pune's The Box on July 26 (Saturday), 7 pm. Ek Mulaqat Manto Se is in two parts, pre-and post-Independence. The writer, who chronicled the horrors and abuse of the Partition, ensuring that the world never forgets, is at the centre of Bhatt's play. The narrative revolves around Manto's childhood, family, and friends, the persecution he faced, and his self-ridicule. It talks about Manto's depression and drinking, his time in Bollywood, before the Hindi film industry was called that, and the irony, hypocrisy, and moral decay of the society that he satirized in his works. 'Manto is known for his irreverent writing, holding up a mirror to society, especially at ugly times. He is hailed as one of Urdu's finest and most controversial writers. The performance is based on articles written by Manto,' says Bhatt. He plays Manto and addresses the audience directly in an effort to answer the question: 'Why I write what I write?' Ek Mulaqat Manto Se is being revived after five years, and Bhatt keeps adding and changing it. 'I will keep doing the play till I am dead. It will end with me, or when I am creatively dead and cannot perform,' he says. Bhatt adds that Laxmi Mansion was redeveloped for commercial establishments. 'The house was not saved or made into a foundation or preserved as a museum. What they did was give Manto the Nishan-e-Imtiaz, Pakistan's highest civilian honour, in 2012. Manto would have laughed,' says Bhatt. Dipanita Nath is interested in the climate crisis and sustainability. She has written extensively on social trends, heritage, theatre and startups. She has worked with major news organizations such as Hindustan Times, The Times of India and Mint. ... Read More
News18
a day ago
- News18
Munawar Faruqui Cancels Delhi Show Citing Health Issues After First Copy Success Party
Last Updated: Munawar Faruqui cancels his July 26 Delhi show due to health concerns, a day after his First Copy success bash. Fans await rescheduled date. Bigg Boss 17 winner and comedian Munawar Faruqui has postponed his upcoming Delhi show on July 26, citing health concerns. The performance was part of his ongoing Dhandho Tour, which has been drawing large crowds across the country. While the nature of his health issue has not been disclosed, Munawar shared a heartfelt note with fans, assuring them of updates soon. Taking to his Instagram Stories on Friday, the comedian wrote, 'My live show scheduled for tomorrow — 26th of July — has been postponed to a new date due to my personal health-related reasons. We sincerely apologise and at the same time, truly value your continued support and patience. You will receive updates from BookMyShow." The announcement came shortly after Munawar was seen celebrating the success of his acting debut, First Copy, in Mumbai. Despite his health condition, he made a brief appearance at the celebration, where he posed for photographers and mingled with guests. At the event, Munawar candidly shared, 'Mereko muscle catch hua hai, lower back par. Main painkiller injection leke aaya hoon. Uth nahi paa raha tha, main aap logon ke liye aaya hoon." The First Copy success bash was attended by several celebrities, including his wife Mehzabeen Coatwala, along with Ankita Lokhande, Vicky Jain, Samarth Jurel, Gurmeet Choudhary, Debina Bonnerjee, Vivian DSena, Prince Narula, and Arjun Bijlani, among others. Released on June 20 via Amazon MX Player, First Copy explores the gritty world of movie piracy in 1990s India. Munawar plays Arif, a street-smart hustler who rises through the ranks to run a piracy empire. The series also stars Ashi Singh, Gulshan Grover, and Krystle D'Souza. Up next, Munawar is set to co-host the couple reality show Pati Patni Aur Panga – Jodiyon Ka Reality Check alongside Sonali Bendre. The show is slated to premiere on August 2. First Published: July 25, 2025, 18:15 IST Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
