5 Indian animated epics headed to cinemas in 2026-27

Indian animation is making a deliberate move away from being a children’s corner and toward big-screen mythological spectacle. A slate of five animated features is lined up for 2026 and 2027, drawn from familiar deities, the Baahubali universe, and new production techniques that range from international studio partnerships to an AI-first pipeline.

The epics on the way

Here is the slate as it stands, with release windows and the teams attached.

• Mahavatar Parshuram – Hombale Films and Kleem Productions expand the Mahavatar Cinematic Universe after Mahavatar Narsimha. Ashwin Kumar directs the story of Vishnu’s warrior avatar, Parshuram, set for December 2027.
• Maha Devi Adishakti – The Legend of Maa Durga – Milind Nandanwar directs, Akshat Gupta writes, and Gaurav Malhotra produces under Artha Entertainment and Animation. The film covers Goddess Durga’s forms, including Mahishasuramardini and Kali, with a worldwide theatrical release planned for February 2027.
• Baahubali: The Eternal War – Part 1 – Ishan Shukla directs a two-part animated epic that places Amarendra Baahubali inside a conflict between gods and demons across 14 realms. Prabhas and Ramya Krishnan are attached as voice performers; Arka Mediaworks is collaborating with international animation studios. The release is expected in 2027.
• Shiva: The Adiyogi – Graphic India, the studio behind The Legend of Hanuman, is developing this with Sadhguru. Sharad Devarajan produces, co-creates and writes. The story explores Shiva as the first yogi and guru, tracing the origins of yoga from before creation to Mount Kailash. A worldwide theatrical release is planned for 2027.
• Chiranjeevi Hanuman – The Eternal – Rajesh Mapuskar directs. Abundantia Entertainment produces with Collective Media Network’s Historyverse division. Pitched as a “Made-in-AI, Made-in-India” production, it draws from the Ramayana and Puranic literature. A theatrical release is expected later in 2026, followed by a multilingual international rollout.

Why this shift matters

Indian animation has found streaming audiences with mythological stories, but theatrical animation has often been treated as a smaller play. This slate suggests studios now see these films as event releases, with worldwide and multilingual plans attached to several titles.

That matters for fans because the films are not being positioned only as children’s programming. They are being built as lore-driven epics with franchise potential, international collaborations, and production choices that could shape how Indian animation is made next.

What to watch as the dates approach

The first major test arrives later in 2026 with Chiranjeevi Hanuman – The Eternal, while the biggest franchise bet—Baahubali: The Eternal War – Part 1—is slated for 2027. Watch for trailers that reveal whether the international animation partnerships and the AI-assisted pipeline translate into theatrical quality, not just scale.

For viewers, the practical move is simple: make a watchlist now, because these release windows may shift. If the 2026 Hanuman film connects, it could raise expectations for every title that follows.

Source: India Today