The Oscars 2026 list of eligible movies being evaluated for Best Animated Feature is out, and the Indian film Mahavatar Narsimha has made it. The official announcement was released by the Academy itself,
confirming that the movie is competing against 35 other films in the category. The Indian animated film has already had a huge impact in theatres this year, and we’ll have to wait and see if it gets success at the Academy Awards. According to the official update, Mahavatar Narsimha is up for an Academy Award nomination, with films such as The Bad Guys 2, Chainsaw Man – The Movie: Reze Arc, Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle, KPop Demon Hunters, and many others. The Academy statement mentioned, “Thirty-five features are eligible for consideration in the Animated Feature Film category for the 98th Academy Awards. Some of the films have not yet had their required qualifying release and must fulfil that requirement and comply with all the category’s other qualifying rules to advance in the voting process.”
Best Animated Feature- Rules To Be Eligible
To be eligible for Best Animated Feature, a film must be longer than 40 minutes and feature animation for at least 75% of the duration. It must also have had a qualifying theatrical release in the United States, screened publicly for at least seven days in one of six selected metropolitan regions.
The nominations for the 98th Academy Awards will be announced on January 22, 2026, with the ceremony set for March 15, 2026, at the Dolby Theatre at Ovation Hollywood, and televised live on ABC.
Mahavatar Narsimha- Storyline
Mahavatar Narsimha is based on the narrative of Narasimha, Vishnu’s fourth avatar. The film takes place in the domain of Demigods and Demons, where the asura ruler Hiranyakashyap is out to avenge his brother Hiranyaksha, who was killed by Lord
Vishnu’s Varaha avatar.
Mahavatar Narsimha is the first instalment in the cinematic universe. The following film, Mahavatar Parshuram, will centre on Lord Vishnu’s sixth avatar and is expected to be released in 2027. In addition, the series will contain titles such as Mahavatar Raghunandan, Mahavatar Dwarkadhish, Mahavatar Gokulananda, Mahavatar Kalki Part I, and Mahavatar Kalki Part II, with the cinematic universe closing in 2037.
