98th Academy Awards: Mahavatar Narsimha In Oscars 2026 Race, To Compete With KPop Demon Hunters, Zootopia 2

After

emerging as a blockbuster at the Indian box office, Kleem Productions-backed and Hombale Films-presented Mahavatar Narsimha is in the Oscars 2026 race. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences released the full list of films eligible for the 98th Academy Awards across Best Animated Feature, Best Documentary Feature and Best International Feature categories. Ashwin Kumar’s Mahavatar Narsimha will be competing with other global successful titles, including KPop Demon Hunters, Zootopia 2, Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba Infinity Castle and many more.

Oscar rules

As per the rule, a movie must be over 40 minutes long, and animation must constitute at least 75% of the running time to be eligible for the Best Animated Feature Oscar. The film must also have had a qualifying theatrical release in the United States and be publicly exhibited for a minimum of seven consecutive days in one of the six qualifying metro areas. A recent rule change allows qualifying animated features to be simultaneously submitted for both the Best Animated Feature and Best International Feature categories. Mahavatar Narsimha has qualified to compete alongside the other hits.Here's the complete list of long list nominees for the Oscars 2026:ALSO READ: Mahavatar Narsimha Is Economically Viable, Says Director Ashwin Kumar: Next Film Will Be Better In Scale - EXCL All Operators Are Currently UnavailableArcoThe Bad Guys 2Black ButterfliesBoys Go to JupiterChainsaw Man – The Movie: Reze ArcChaOColorful Stage! The Movie: A Miku Who Can't SingDavidDemon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba Infinity CastleDog ManDog of GodDragon Heart – Adventures Beyond This WorldElioEndless CookieFixedGabby's Dollhouse: The MovieIn Your DreamsKPop Demon HuntersThe Legend of Hei 2Light of the WorldLittle Amélie or the Character of RainLost in Starlight A Magnificent LifeMahavatar NarsimhaNight of the ZoopocalypseOlivia & las Nubes100 MetersOut of the NestScarletSlideThe SpongeBob Movie: Search for SquarePants Stitch HeadThe TwitsZootopia 2

About Mahavatar Narsimha

Mahavatar Narsimha is the first part of the franchise. Mahavatar Parshuram (2027), Mahavatar Raghunandan (2029), Mahavatar Dwarkadhish (2031), Mahavatar Gokulananda (2033), Mahavatar Kalki Part 1 (2035) and Mahavatar Kalki Part 2 (2037) will take the animated universe forward. In a previous exclusive interview with Zoom, Mahavatar Narsimha’s director Ashwin said the film is an answer to Hollywood superhero movies. “The Mahavatar franchise will be an answer to them. We are hitting certain milestones and benchmarks with the film for the Indian audience and diaspora. Yes, we are not at the world level because we don’t have that kind of budget, but we will get there because we have a system of jugaad in India, and we know how to figure things out. By the seventh film, we will figure it out,” he shared.The nominations for the 98th Academy Awards will be announced on January 22, 2026. The 98th Oscars will be held on March 15, 2026, at the Dolby Theatre at Ovation Hollywood and will be televised live on ABC.