It’s a hat-trick for Disney+ Hotstar Specials The Legend of Hanuman! The saga of the Mahabali’s journey from warrior to God has charmed its way into the hearts of Indian audience. The animated series has retained its top position as the #1 Most Viewed streaming shows and movies for the first three consecutive weeks of February, according to Ormax Media (media consulting and analytics firm) report.
In the first week, the 13 episode Indian animated mythological fantasy following Hanuman in world of motley characters, with lost cities, forest beings, rivalries, alliances, and wars, garnered 6.6 million views. It is streaming in seven languages. In second and third week, The Legend of Hanuman earned 4 million and 2.9 million views respectively.
The Legend of Hanuman also topped the list of most binged shows from 7 to 13 February, according to the Chrome OTT (COTT) report. It amassed 8.87 million unique viewers translating to a reach of 1.54 per cent.
Speaking on this phenomenal achievement, Graphic India co-founder and series co-creator Sharad Devarajan shared with Animation Xpress, “The Legend of Hanuman has been an unprecedented milestone for original Indian animation – becoming a top binged and top watched series across all streaming platforms, according to the independent analytics released by COTT and Ormax Media. We are so honoured by the amazing responses we have seen from so many who have been captivated by the series. It reinforces our belief at Graphic India that animation has the potential to be enjoyed by wide audiences in India far beyond just kids. We hope new viewers will continue to discover and enjoy the series on Disney+ Hostar in the coming weeks, months and years!”
Series co-creator Charuvi Agarwal (P Singhal) took to her social media to announce the news. “Super thrilled” on this, she added, “We’re elated! Lots of parents and even the little ones themselves have reached out to us to show their appreciation and love for the content and it feels gratifying to know how it’s performing. Many were asking if there will be a second season or if there would be a full length animated film. There is evidently a lot of connection that we are seeing, especially amongst this generation and the show taking them back to their youth. We hope that the exuberance and excitement continues in the weeks and months ahead.”
The Legend of Hanuman follows the journey of Hanuman using superior quality visuals mounted on a global scale, the first-of-its-kind in India in this mythological animation series. Produced by Graphic India and created by Sharad Devarajan, Jeevan J. Kang and Agarwal, the animated series is directed by Kang and Navin John, with lead writers Devarajan, Sarwat Chaddha, Ashwin Pande and Arshad Syed.
The Legend of Hanuman chronicles the perpetual war between the forces of good and evil; and how the immortal Hanuman became the ever-burning beacon of hope amidst the harrowing darkness. The official synopsis reads:
108 names but one emotion – Mahabali Hanuman. From burning down Lanka to slaying demons, He is worshipped and admired by billions the world over for His many acts of righteousness and eternal devotion to Lord Ram. But not many know of His extraordinary journey of self discovery – the story of a humble vaanara who forgot about His divinity, and how the people around him helped him discover the God within him. Narrated by Sharad Kelkar, the unseen tale of the mighty warrior Lord Hanuman comes alive in The Legend of Hanuman, a visually mesmerizing portrayal of an epic saga by Hotstar Specials.
If you haven’t seen it yet, catch The Legend of Hanuman streaming exclusively on Disney+ Hotstar.
