Season two of The Legend Of Hanuman has crossed 8 million views in the first 10 days on Disney + Hotstar, marking a “milestone” for Indian animation.
The mythological fantasy animated series topped all other shows and movies on paid VOD services over the last week, according to Mumbai-based consultancy Ormax Media.
Ormax’s figures estimate that the show has attracted 8.5 million viewers in its first 10 days, a substantial number that places it among the most successful streaming content in the country over the last year.
According to Deadline, the company predicts that Hanuman will cross the 20 million mark, a feat only achieved by five series in total across the last 12 months, one of which was The Legend Of Hanuman season one, while the other four were all high-profile live-action series based on existing franchises.
No other animated show on paid streaming platforms in India had previously surpassed the five million viewers mark, according to the company’s data.
Sharad Devarajan, co-founder of New York-based Graphic India said: “It’s an amazing milestone for original Indian animation and we are humbled by the response.”
Working between the U.S. and India, he is recognised for his work in comics and animation – whose projects include the first Indian superheroes, Chakra the Invincible in which he collaborated with Stan Lee. Devarajan is also the creator of Baahubali: The Lost Legends, the animated spin-off of the mega-blockbuster Indian film series.
“The Disney brand is synonymous with animation, and I have no doubt that this association had an enormous impact on the show’s success.
“To have this be launched on Disney+Hotstar as their first animated Hotstar Special is an amazing responsibility and honour we all took very seriously,” he added.
“Hanuman is the quintessential Indian hero whose legends and stories have inspired over a billion people, including myself.
“However, most previous live action film and TV versions of the Indian myths have all been limited in their production ability on being able to show the vast visual world of mythical beings… we were able to portray that visually, through high quality, immersive animation, for the first time.”
When asked about the prospect for Season 3, Devarajan said: “I know our team is very hopeful a season three will happen, but there is no news on that yet. Anyone who sees the last episode of season two will realise that creatively we are just getting started with this series and have a lot more of Hanuman’s story to tell. Hopefully we will.”
Ormax measures data using its ‘Stream Track’ tool and takes a survey of streaming audiences in India every week, projecting the viewership numbers from that data. The company notes that it does not track viewers below 15, and does not encompass every language, so the actual numbers for Hanuman could be higher.
