MUMBAI: Eros Now has come up with a unique, innovative digital initiative. It launched India’s first-ever animated graphic web series, “Blazing Bajirao” Nov. 9 in Mumbai at a suburban multiplex.
A first for the Indian film industry, “Blazing Bajirao” is a digital graphic series, created to familiarize audiences with the life and history of the lead characters — Bajirao and Mastani — ahead of the release of the film “Baijrao Mastani” Dec. 18.
The graphic series will be followed by the launch of the “Blazing Bajirao” game, which focuses on the legendary Peshwa’s search for supremacy. The game will soon be available exclusively on www.erosnow.com, while the app can be downloaded on the App Store and Google Play.
Said Ranveer Singh, who launched the series: “‘Blazing Bajirao’ is an attempt to tell young audiences the legend of Peshwa Bajirao. Bajirao was a master strategist and warrior, and this series highlights the various facets of his personality and the skills he possessed. It gives you important historical nuggets on him, but in a cool, creative and engaging way.”
On the creation of Blazing Bajirao, Rishika Lulla Singh, CEO, Eros Digital, said: “This is an Eros Now concept that was conceived and developed by our in-house creative team, to build the curiosity of our audiences across all generations. With this animated series, we aimed at getting a distinctive, grungy look to add an edgy layer to Bajirao. We’ve taken traditional film marketing to a new level, giving it a millennial spin. The episode we launched today is the first of many such episodes to follow, each of which will bear the stamp of the stellar quality expected from a leading studio like Eros International.”
At the event, Singh also unveiled a six-foot tall, life-size Bajirao figurine that will be housed at multiplexes this festive season. The figurine marks another shift in film marketing, since publicity material is usually confined to routine standees and backdrops. The six-foot, hand-painted figurines are made of clay and fiber glass and have been modeled on Singh’s look in the film.
The film also stars Deepika Padukone and Priyanka Chopra, and is co-produced and directed by Sanjay Leela Bhansali, who has also scored the music.