Hanuman creator legend Sharad Devarajan says SS Rajamouli inspires him, says ‘what he does so well…’ | exclusive
Updated on January 12, 2024 at 02:06 PM IST
In an exclusive chat with Zoom, the creative force behind the Disney+ Hotstar animated series talks about the third season, Hanuman’s journey and his admiration for his mentor SS Rajamouli.
Hanuman creator legend Sharad Devarajan says SS Rajamouli inspires him, says ‘what he does so well…’ | exclusive
The third season The legend of Hanuman It’s out now and it takes the famous animated mythological show to a new phase as Sri Ram, Hanuman and others finally land on the shores of Lanka. Writer and co-creator Sharad Devarajan discussed how this new season will move the story forward, introduce new characters and set up an “unbelievable war.”
The final battle between good and evil The Legend of Hanuman Season 3
previous seasons The legend of Hanuman Focused the story on Hanuman’s inner strength and growth along with his relationship with Ram. This new season introduces some familiar characters in a new way. In an interview with Zoom, Devarajan shared, “What we tried is [create] Ravan’s house, it’s a really complex family dynasty where you have these relationships with his sons, brothers and wife. All of these dynamics will come into play as the pressure mounts on the Demon King. The counterfola between Ravan and Lord Hanuman and the essential teachings of Lord Ram to Hanuman will all take place here. In these next few episodes, you’re going to see a lot of things come out that we’ve been planting the seeds of, even in the early parts of the series.”
A long gap between seasons 2 and 3 was needed to produce quality production. He explained: “The first two seasons were, in some ways, an incredible journey, but now you’re going into an incredible war. There are some differences in how to approach and think about it. From a creative point of view, the vision, we really had to design so many characters. We had to work really hard on the script for the series to make sure that we really captured what we were thinking and felt that when people watch this show, they connect with each other. on the way.”
Popularity of animated series
Since its inception, the animated series has really resonated with fans around the world. Devarajan said the response was humbling.
He said, “The whole approach we took for the show from the beginning was that animation in India has largely moved into the children’s genre. That’s how people looked at him. When we got the idea to do the show. It was not about doing a baby Hanuman show. It was about making it as rich and complex narratively as the original myths.”
With this incredible opportunity to shoot the first animated series for Disney+ Hotstar, the team worked hard to make the series look naturalistic and most importantly human. Devarajan felt that the show worked on many levels and the main character of the series was the main draw. He added, “I believe primarily 99 percent is because it’s about Lord Hanuman. But when people saw it, they forgot it was animation. They just got used to the story.”
Moreover, the association with Disney also helped the show. He continued: “People trust the brand when it comes to animation, and I think it’s very helpful for a show like this to be given a chance. He was speaking to an 8- to 80-year-old audience, that’s the key to it. I hope it will usher in a new wave of animation that takes the medium very seriously rather than as a genre. Not as children, but as [medium] To tell such amazing stories.”
Devarajan is looking for more Indian stories to tell
As the co-founder and CEO of Graphic India, Devaranjan shared that he wants to find more young talent from the country to tell their stories. He said: “The next Harry Potter or Star Wars is sitting [there]. We want to be the embodiment of the empowerment of all this creation. We hire writers and artists every day to tell and build stories, so we feel their creativity is abundant in India and ready to take the world by storm. I think the challenge will always be on the goalkeeper.”
His company is already under development. But the filmmaker is also interested in bringing timeless Indian mythological stories to the world.
inspired SS Rajamouli
Devaranjan also worked on another famous franchise with Telugu filmmaker SS Rajamouli for an animated series. Baahubali: The Lost Legends. Speaking about the award-winning director, The Legend of Hanuman creator said, “Rajamouli is such a dear friend and mentor, an amazing creator and someone I learn a lot from. But I would say that what he does is well-rounded. The audience around the world is unique.” With the Indian experience moving visually and narratively. From Baahubali to RRR, everything he’s ever done, I continue to be inspired by it.”
Rajamouli’s nephew and sister RRR Kaala Bhairava, son of Oscar winner MM Keeravani, has composed the music The legend of Hanuman. Devarajan added, “We’re lucky to have him. He also wrote the title song. We’ve been working with him since the first two seasons and we’ve seen the incredible growth he’s gone through.”
The director ended several seasons of teasing for the animated series, “We have a lot of stories to tell.”
