EXCLUSIVE: Here’s a first in India: Disney+ Hotstar‘s ratings charts have seen animated shows take the top two places on its Hindi-language viewing charts for the first time.
According to exclusive data estimates from Ormax Media, The Legend of Hanuman season 4 and Baahubali: Crown of Blood occupied the numbers one and two slots between 3-9 June. That’s never happened before and is especially notable in a country where live-action shows and Bollywood films dominate. furthermore, both shows are geared towards Indian adults in a market where animation has broadly been a kids genre.
Graphic India founder and boss Sharad Devarajan, who co-creator, produces and showruns both shows said: “Over the last two decades my mission has been to recruit, train and showcase India’s amazing artists, writers, creators and disruptors at our studio with one defining mission – to help transform the perception of India in animation from being an ‘outsourcer’ to being ‘the source’ – to create stories, heroes and characters that are uniquely Indian but spark the imaginations of audiences all across both India and the world. That’s the goal of our company and the personal driving mission of my life. The rise of India’s animated pop-culture renaissance has just begun.”
The Legend of Hanuman has topped on the streaming charts for each of its three previous seasons, making it the first animated series to achieve that. Season 4 launched on June 5 and had reached top spot by June 7. Devarajan created there show alongside Jeevan J. Kang.
The show when god Mahadev (Shiva) reincarnates as Hanuman to serve Rama, following how he transforms from a mighty warrior to a god and how becomes a beacon of hope amidst harrowing darkness.
In just its first week, season 4 received, 6.1 Million views, according to Ormax Media, which estimated the previous season released in January, had 11.4 million viewers in its first three weeks of release, with 3.4 Million viewers in its first week. Season 4 is tracking much higher.
Baahubali: Crown of Blood, originally launched on May 17 is a 2D-animated show from RRR director S.S. Rajamouli and Devarajan. Rajamouli, Devarajan and Shobu Yarlagadda produce a story from Devarajan. Kang and Navin John at Graphic India produce and direct. It is based on the Baahubali universe Rajamouli created in 2015 with Baahubali: The Beginning.
Ormax estimated that Baahubali: Crown of Blood took 11 million viewers in the first three weeks of release.
Rajamouli previously said: “The world of Baahubali is vast, and the film franchise was the perfect introduction to the same. However, there’s so much more to explore, and that’s where Baahubali: Crown of Blood comes into the picture. Arka Mediaworks and I are delighted to collaborate with Sharad Devarajan, Disney+ Hotstar and Graphic India as we reshape Indian animation for a broader audience beyond kids.”
Ormax estimates viewing figures through data collected by a weekly survey. With viewing data almost impossible to come by in Indian streaming, Ormax has emerged as arguably the most trusted independent ratings provider.
At this year’s Annecy conference, Graphic India announcing an aggressive push into theatrical animation with a number of projects in development. We recently revealed English-language animated film Cinnamon, which is from author and creator, Neil Gaiman. Based on Gaiman’s short story about an Indian Princess and talking tiger who journey into a fantastical jungle, the screenplay is being adapted by the author and Devarajan, with Sarena Khan and Sujatha SV. It will be directed by Kang.
