The highest grossing film ever in the history of Indian cinema is now set to make its television debut as an animated series. Riding high on the success of the Baahubali franchise, India’s leading entertainment channel COLORS announced the acquisition of the broadcast satellite rights to the animated series spin-off called, Baahubali: The Lost Legends. The animated series which features all new original stories of the magnum opus from acclaimed filmmaker S.S. Rajamouli, Graphic India and Arka Mediaworks is slated for a television launch on COLORS soon.
Commenting on the procurement of the rights, Raj Nayak, COO – Viacom18 said, “Baahubali has proved to be a landmark film in the history of Indian cinema. Its success is nothing short of a case study for the Indian filmmakers. We at COLORS pride ourselves for knowing the pulse of our viewers. Going by the ripples that this masterpiece has generated nationwide, we thought this was the right time to bring to our television audiences the folklores of ‘Baahubali’ which have been captured stunningly in this animated series.”
He further added, “Graphic India’s show has tremendous appeal amongst the viewers as it cuts across age groups and stands out in the cluttered environment. Baahubali with its storyline and characters has created an entire ecosystem that can translate beyond the silver screen and make for excellent content in other mediums. The animated version is just an attempt towards that direction and we’re sure it will mesmerize the TV viewers.”
Baahubali: The Lost Legends has been created by S.S. Rajamouli, Sharad Devarajan and Arka Mediaworks, who are the producers, along with series lead writer, Ashwin Pande and Jeevan J. Kang, Graphic’s EVP Creative and the lead character designer for the new animated series.
On this partnership said celebrated Director, S. S. Rajamouli, “The reach of television as a medium in India is extraordinary, and we’re thrilled to partner with Raj Nayak and COLORS to bring the untold stories of the Mahishmati Kingdom to the television audiences. Our creation of the series with Graphic India and Sharad Devarajan was formed on the idea that we could launch an animated series that would go beyond just kids. With the COLORS’ distribution platform, we will be able to bring Baahubali – The Lost Legends to the millions of people in India from ages eight to eighty.”
Echoing similar sentiments, Shobu Yarlagadda, CEO, Arka Mediaworks, said, “We are delighted that COLORS is collaborating with Arka Mediaworks and Graphic India to bring the Baahubali animated series to television. The paradigm shift that Baahubali has brought into the entertainment industry is truly inspiring for all of us, and now with ‘Baahubali: The Lost Legends’ fans of the film can continue to live the journey of Baahubali, Bhallaladeva and all their other favorite characters.”
Said, Sharad Devarajan – Co-Founder & CEO, Graphic India, “The epic storytelling and groundbreaking visuals that S. S. Rajamouli created has captivated millions, and the future of Indian cinema shall now always be defined as ‘before Baahubali’ and ‘after Baahubali’. We are honored to work with Raj Nayak and the amazing team at COLORS to bring these new stories of Baahubali to television audiences across the country.”
Filled with intrigue, betrayal, war, action and adventure, the animated series will take audiences on new adventures beyond the film, as we learn for the first time the events that shaped Baahubali from a young prince into a legendary hero and reveal hidden secrets from the world of Baahubali for its millions of fans. ‘Baahubali: The Lost Legends’ was initially launched digitally on Amazon Prime Video and will soon be released through television on COLORS.