Apr 19, 2026 11:30am IST
‘Ramayana,’ ‘Mahavatar Parshuram,’ ‘Krishnavataram’: Makers Take Divine Route to Box Office Success
From “Jai Santoshi Maa” (1975) to the animation film, “Mahavatar Narasimha” (2025), Indians have proved that films around divinity have an appeal which is unmatched by any other genre. Indians love a story of God told with reverence, finesse and emotion. One of the best examples is "Laalo - Krishna Sada Sahayte," a film about transformation and faith. Next month, we will see the release of “Krishnavataram Part One: (Hridayam),” a grand retelling of the love story of Lord Krishna and Radharani. Here is a look at more mythological and devotional movies being made across the Indian film industry.
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‘Krishnavataram: Part 1 The Heart (Hridayam)’
The trailer of ‘Krishnavataram’ was unveiled recently at the sacred Krishna Janmabhoomi with a large number of devotees in attendance. It was a multi-location event including temples like Raman Reti Temple, Radha Rani Temple, Prem Mandir, and ISKCON Vrindavan. Chants filled the air as devotees expressed their joy seeing the trailer. The movie, “Krishnavataram Part One: (Hridayam),” has an excellent writing and technical team behind it. It has cinematography by Ayananka Bose, music by Prasad S, production design by Chokkas Bhaardwaj, costumes by Nidhi Yasha, and lyrics by Irshad Kamil. Hardik Gajjar who directed the TV show, "Devon Ke Dev...Mahadev" is the maker. It is going to be released in theatres on May 7, 2026.
‘Ramayana’
The biggest one is Namit Malhotra’s “Ramayana,” reportedly mounted on a budget of Rs 4,000 crores. Ranbir Kapoor plays Lord Rama while Sai Pallavi is Maa Sita. The cast includes “KGF” star Yash as Ravana, while Sunny Deol is Hanuman. Ravi Dubey, Kajal Aggarwal, Rakul Preet Singh, Suhail Nayyar, Mohit Raina are also a part of the cast. The first part of “Ramayana” will be released in Diwali 2026.
‘Sadhak Bamakhyapa’
"Sadhak Bamakhyapa" is a Bengali devotional biopic about the 18th-century Tantric saint, who is popular across West Bengal. He was the greatest devotee of Maa Tara, the form of Goddess Kali in the temple town of Tarapith. Known for his unorthodox ways, Bamakhyapa was revered across the state. Sabyasachi Chowdhury plays the lead role while Sayantan Ghoshal is the director. It will release in November 2026.
‘Mahavatar’
Amar Kaushik and Vicky Kaushal have joined hands for an action spectacle on Lord Parashuram. As per latest reports, Shraddha Kapoor might be in the film as well. Lord Parashuram is one of the avatars of Lord Vishnu and a feared warrior. He is described as one of the Chiranjeevi’s (immortal ones) in Indian mythology. It was supposed to release in Christmas 2026 but has been pushed due to extensive VFX work. It is one of the big ticket projects from Maddock Films.
‘Jai Hanuman’
After the success of “Hanu-Man” in 2024, Prasanth Varma announced “Jai Hanuman” starring Rishab Shetty in the lead role. It is supposed to be a devotional cum social-fantasy where Hanuman confronts evil that threatens to ruin humanity. The team began shooting after a puja in the city of Hampi in Karnataka. Rana Daggubati also plays an important role in the movie. It will be released in 2027.
‘Mahakali’
Prasanth Varma is also making ‘Mahakali’, a female-centric superhero film with Bhoomi Shetty in the lead. It also has a mythological angle with Akshaye Khanna playing the role of Shukracharya, the guru (teacher) of the asuras (demons). Puja Aparna Kolluru is the director of the same. It was supposed to release some time in 2026 but the date is not confirmed so far.
‘Mahavatar Parashuram’
Ashwin Kumar, the director of “Mahavatar Narasimha” that did excellent business in 2025 will release “Mahavatar Parashuram” in 2027, as per reports. He has begun work on the same. Kumar said he is planning a film, which is technically superior to his last film that ran to packed houses in India and the US.
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