THE LION HEARTED

Tuesday, August 12th, 2025

Yorkville, Toronto

Perhaps we could call it “Lions Week” because globally there has been a sensation of the airing of the film, Mahavatar Narasingha about the lion/man avatar.  Aswin Kumar’s animated masterpiece is in theatres worldwide.  I didn’t even know there was a Cineplex complex in the Manual Life Building in our neighbourhood where this epical tale became a screen reality the last few nights.  Tonight was my night. 

I received reviews from cities across Canada by our members with high praises.  I had the good fortune to see previews last year by Aswin, himself, when I was in Noida.  The good director showed my team of actors from South Africa the last segment of when the wicked Holika attempted to burn alive her innocent nephew, Prahlad, right to the ed of the broken pillar and major fight between demons and devatas and the defeat of the awful Hiranyakasipu.

The theatre goers of tonight’s performance were thrilled and it received a standing ovation.  It was lovingly violent, had beautiful backdrops, and gorgeous tattooed players.  The English subtitles to the Hindi dialogue were easy to follow with a good translation job.  I would have liked to see more character building and some more quiet moments.  The storyline runs on a high, intense calibre.  Yet, I cannot fault this production for the hard work and end result in this most favoured tale of good and evil, resistance and dependence on a powerful mantra – “Om Namo Bhagavate Vasudevaya.  That sound of might dominates at the last end of the torture scenes. 

During the intermission, I ventured off to the washroom to meet the finest cleaning worker. Straggle-haired, but a young optimist, he was happy, polite, a Prahlad type. 

MAY THE SOURCE BE WITH YOU!

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