The India premiere of Ne Zha 2: Shared Mythological Roots

Indian cinemas were bracing for the mythological spectacle of Ne Zha: Demon Child Conquers the Sea (Ne Zha 2), the record-breaking Chinese animated film, which began screening across the country on April 25, 2025. Having already grossed more than US$2.1 billion globally, the film is now the highest-grossing animated release of all time and is poised to make a mark in India, the world’s fourth-largest movie market.

The timing of the release carries particular symbolic weight. Earlier in April, India and China marked 75 years of diplomatic ties. In this context, the arrival of Ne Zha 2 serves not just as cinematic entertainment but as a gesture of cultural diplomacy that bridges ancient mythologies and modern narratives across Asia’s two largest civilizations.

The film’s mythological protagonist, Nezha—a fiery, rebellious deity born from a lotus and imbued with divine power—has surprising connections to India. These links have been extensively explored by Professor Meir Shahar, a renowned Israeli scholar of Chinese culture, religion, and literature, who has traced Nezha’s origins to Indian mythology.

In his seminal works like Oedipal God: The Chinese Nezha and His Indian Origins and Indian Mythology and the Chinese Imagination: Nezha, Nalakūbara, and Kṛṣṇạ, Shahar offered a compelling narrative of cross-cultural transmission. According to his research, Nezha is derived from Nalakubara, a lesser-known but symbolically potent figure in Hindu and Buddhist traditions. Nalakubara, Shahar explained, is the son of Kubera (or Vaisravaṇa), the god of wealth in Hindu and Buddhist tradition and the half-brother of the demon-king Ravana. This familial lineage places Nalakubara squarely within India’s vast mythological universe and adds a fascinating layer of interwoven histories.

Shahar pointed to Buddhist sutras, available in both Sanskrit and their Chinese translations, as evidence that Nezha and Nalakubara are indeed the same figure. “The name ‘Nezha’ itself is not native to Chinese. It is a phonetic adaptation of Nalakubara’s full Sanskrit name—Nazhajuwaluo in early Chinese transliterations,” he explained.

SHARED SYMBOLS AND MIRRORED MYTHS 

The symbolic overlap extends beyond name and parentage. In Chinese myth, Nezha is known for his dramatic battles—including a confrontation with dragon prince Ao Bing. This finds a parallel in Indian lore where Krishna, another divine child, famously subdues the multi-headed serpent, or naga, Kaliya. Both are avatars of divine mischief, power, and redemption. Both also exhibit Oedipal tendencies, rebelling against patriarchal authority—Krishna against his uncle Kansa, and Nezha against his father, Li Jing.

Nezha’s rebirth from a lotus—a powerful symbol in both Indian and Chinese traditions—adds another layer of cross-cultural resonance. As Shahar notes, the lotus as a symbol of purity, rebirth, and spiritual awakening is a core motif in both Buddhist and Hindu imagery, reflecting deep-rooted civilizational exchange.

These shared symbols are not mere coincidences but the result of centuries of cross-pollination between India and China via Buddhist transmission and the ancient Silk Road, according to Shahar.

ENDURING DIALOGUE OF CIVILIZATIONS

Nezha’s journey—from echoes in Indian epics to enshrinement in Chinese temples—testifies to deeper historical truths about the rich cultural exchange between Indian and Chinese civilizations, particularly through the transmission of Buddhism across the ancient Silk Road and through millennia.

This civilizational dialogue extended well beyond philosophical thought into daily customs and rituals. Indian deities, too, took on new identities within the Chinese cultural cosmos. Kubera, revered in India as the god of wealth, was adapted in China as Vaishravana—a formidable warrior-guardian whose likeness was emblazoned on swords and bodies and tattooed on skin by Tang Dynasty soldiers seeking strength and protection. His sons such as Nalakubara became part of military rituals and lived on in Chinese folklore as divine sentinels.

“Nezha, as we know him today, is unmistakably a Chinese creation—but one that evolved through a foundation of shared mythological elements,” Shahar noted. “It’s a powerful example of cultural synthesis—where foreign ideas are not simply adopted, but reinterpreted, transformed, and woven into a distinctly local narrative.”

FINDING A HOME

For Indian audiences accustomed to epics like the Mahabharata and Ramayana, Nezha may feel strikingly familiar. The blend of youthful defiance, cosmic battles, and moral evolution echoes traits of beloved Indian characters like Arjuna, Rama, and Krishna.

The film’s arrival follows a wave of Indian blockbusters like Baahubali, which reaffirmed the public’s appetite for large-scale, mythologically-infused narratives. In that cinematic ecosystem, Ne Zha 2 is a natural fit.

But beyond myth, the film also champions universal values like self-determination, familial honor, and personal sacrifice. These themes resonate deeply with Indian viewers, particularly younger audiences navigating questions of identity and autonomy in an increasingly interconnected world.

India’s US$2.5 billion film market, which sells over 1.5 billion tickets annually, thrives on emotional storytelling and visual spectacle. Ne Zha 2, with over 2,400 VFX shots produced by more than 4,000 artists across 138 companies and a production budget of US$80 million, meets that demand with technical prowess and emotional depth.

The release of Ne Zha 2 in India could mark a turning point for Chinese animation—or donghua—on the international stage. As cultural content becomes a growing instrument of soft power, the film’s reception in India will be closely watched.

For Indian viewers, Ne Zha 2 offers more than just world-class animation. It’s an invitation to rediscover a mythological figure who may have traveled eastward centuries ago, only to return today—reborn through pixels and shared stories.

As the wheels of Nezha’s flaming chariot begin to turn on Indian screens, they do more than chase box office glory. They carry with them echoes of ancient trade routes, shared myths, and a new era of cultural storytelling without borders.

The author is a senior Indian journalist and international affairs analyst, with a special focus on history, cultural exchange, and civilizational dialogue.