Not only is animation film Mahavatar Narsimha sweeping the audience off their feet but it is also bringing to the fore their religious side. Believe it or not but devout Hindus are actually taking off their footwear before taking their seats in the cinemas. Such is the impact of the Hindu mythological film on the public that some cinemas have reported cases of people taking off their shoes, sandals or slippers and placing them at the entrance of the auditorium before taking their seats to watch the film with reverence!
Since this action has a terrific demonstration effect, it is not as if a handful of the people in an auditorium is doing this. As soon as the footwear of some people are seen at the entrance of an auditorium, people coming in thereafter take the cue and immediately leave their footwear behind before reaching out for their seats.
Similar stories had been heard of when Jai Santoshi Maa was released and became a cult mythological blockbuster. The womenfolk among the cinema-going public used to often take off their footwear and keep them under their seats as a mark of respect and reverence. For TV serial Ramayan, again in an era gone by, one had heard of people in devout Hindu households watching the serial only after bathing. But that was ages ago. For today’s audience to do this in a film is something nobody would’ve expected!
