The Power Of Strong Word Of Mouth

When Mahavatar Narasimha, an animated mythological film, quietly arrived in theatres a day after Hari Hara Veeramallu, not many expected it to make a mark. With limited shows on its opening day and hardly any promotions, the film started with minimal buzz. But what happened next took everyone by surprise, strong word of mouth turned this underdog into a box office beast.

Despite no star cast and very little pre-release hype, audiences are now flocking to theatres purely based on the content and presentation. In fact, in Hyderabad alone, the film earned over 1.4 crore on its tenth day, overtaking Kingdom, which is still in its early run and has collected just under 98 lakh.

On BookMyShow, Mahavatar Narasimha is reportedly the only film selling over 11,000 tickets per hour on Sundays, a remarkable feat for an animated devotional drama. Industry insiders note that the film’s overflow footfalls are even helping boost the collections of other films playing in nearby screens.

With a global gross already crossing 70 crore, and the 100 crore mark well within reach by next week, Mahavatar Narasimha is on its way to becoming the highest grossing Indian animated film of all time. Not even the hugely successful Hanuman from two decades ago came close to these numbers.

As of now, trade analysts don’t expect this storm to calm down anytime soon. Until big-ticket releases like Coolie and War 2 arrive on August 14, Mahavatar Narasimha is expected to rule the box office.

Interestingly, even the film’s co-producer, Hombale Films, is said to be pleasantly surprised by the massive reception. All the distributors involved are reportedly seeing excellent profits. Initially, the production house kept promotions to a minimum, but with momentum picking up, director Ashwin Kumar is now actively participating in interviews and public interactions.

The success of Mahavatar Narasimha proves that star power isn’t always necessary. With powerful storytelling and impressive visuals, even an animated film without big names can become a blockbuster.