Indian mythology is so vast, that one can spend an entire lifetime reading the stories, its versions, interpretations and theories. It has found its way into our culture, traditions, philosophy, entertainment as well as our way of life. It is not uncommon these days to find TV shows, movies, animated series based on mythology characters. But how many appeal to teens and adults?
Not always is it going to be this disappointing. Very soon, or should I say probably end of this year, Indian audience will be able to enjoy the storytelling of Goddess Durga on the big screen, told through the medium of animation, by Mumbai-based studio iRealities.
The 3D animated feature titled Durga is the studio’s next offering in animated theatricals after their major hit Chaar Sahibzaade. And seems like this one is going to be even bigger. Colossal, I must say.
The two hour long feature film is in the final stage of production and is written and directed by two well-known names respectively in the Indian film industry.
Releasing in six languages across India with Bengali as the key language, the feature will tell the story of Durga from her origin. It also talks about the cause that led to the creation of the Goddess. “We chose this character because it signifies the power, the shakti (in English: strength) of women,” shares iRealities CEO Prasad Ajgaonkar.
The film also talks about the significance of Mahishasura, the villain. “Mahishasura, who is called a Rakshas (in English: demon), also had a human side to him. The film shows how this human side and arrogance makes him evil. So Durga does not just glorify religion. Anybody who does not relate to the religion will also enjoy the film,” claims Ajgaonkar.
He strongly believes that we need to change how animation is looked at in India. “Since the last 10 years, our focus has been on changing the perception of animation in India. In India, people think animation is only for kids. Nobody thinks it is for family audience. So engaging the non-kids age group into animation is a challenge which we have tried to overcome with Sheikh Chilli & Friendz and Chaar Sahibzaade.” And that is exactly what the studio’s endeavour will be with Durga.
Apart from Durga, the studio has two more on-going massive projects, both 3D animated theatricals. One of them is based on the mythological character Venkateswara, also known as Tirupati Balaji.
“There are small films everywhere, but they never tell a detailed story. Our idea is to tell a next-generation story of India’s history, culture, religion, not because it is an obligation for the youth to know about the same. We believe in telling these stories engagingly, respecting the youth as well as kids, and in the process give them something for life.”
Most mythology we watch on screens merely touches the surface. But in Durga, Ajgaonkar promises to tell a great story through animation and create a product for all ages. And hopefully, this film will raise the bar for animation theatricals in India, with a fulfilling dose of mythology of course!
