Graphic India, the studio behind India’s biggest animated mythology franchise, The Legend of Hanuman, is joining forces with Sadhguru – yogi, visionary and founder of the Isha Foundation, whose teachings have reached hundreds of millions of people worldwide, to create Shiva: The Adiyogi, an epic animated feature film that will bring one of the most spectacular untold stories in human history to audiences around the world.
With an incredible story by Sadhguru and award-winning creator Sharad Devarajan, the film asks a question no epic has ever dared to ask: what could move a being who exists beyond time, beyond law, beyond need, content in infinite stillness, to cross the threshold and give humanity its greatest gift?
The answer is a story of love, loss, wrath and awakening on a cosmic scale. The film journeys from the vast darkness before creation to the golden peaks of Kailash, through the earth-shattering rampage of Veerabhadra, a savage being of grief made flesh, and the fierce devotion of the two women who refused to let Shiva retreat from existence. It all builds up to one of the most extraordinary moments ever, the giftof hitherto unknownknowledge at the banks of Kanti Sarovar, where the first Yogi gave seven seekers the 112 ways for a human being to transcend the very dimension in which they exist. The most revolutionary idea ever gifted to humanity.
“In the Yogic culture, Shiva is not seen as a god. For us, Shiva is the Adiyogi – the first Yogi, and the Adiguru – the first Guru. For the first time in the history of humanity, Shiva the Adiyogi introduced the idea that the simple laws of nature are not permanent restrictions. If one is willing to strive, one can go beyond all limitations and attain to liberation. Breaking the laws of physical nature is spiritual process. In this sense, we are outlaws, and Shiva is the ultimate outlaw,” said Sadhguru
“This is the story of how wisdom itself was born, and why it was shared with humanity,” said Sharad Devarajan, the film’s producer, co-creator and writer, and Co-Founder of Graphic India. “As a storyteller, there is no greater canvas, a cosmic love story, a tale of devastating loss, and action on a scale no epic has ever attempted. Armies of gods fall before a warrior born of pure grief. A blind conqueror storms the gates of heaven. A third eye opens and burns desire itself out of existence. And through all the fury and spectacle runs the most tender story imaginable, of the two women whose love was fierce enough to reach an infinite being, and the final gift he gave humanity because of them. To craft this story alongside Sadhguru, the defining voice of the Adiyogi in our time, is the greatest creative honor I could imagine.”
Through fully immersive, cutting-edge animation, Shiva: The Adiyogi will realize this mythic world in a way no previous telling has achieved, with the visual spectacle of the greatest global event films and an emotional depth that will resonate with audiences of every age and every culture.
Yogi, Mystic and Visionary, Sadhguru is among the most influential of our times. A New York Times bestselling author, Sadhguru is internationally acclaimed as a renowned speaker and opinion leader. His videos, which stream in 35 languages on social media, were viewed more than 6.1 billion times in a single year. He is the only living Indian to have received three Presidential Awards from three different Presidents, among which is India’s highest annual civilian award, the Padma Vibhushan. Over three decades ago, Sadhguru founded Isha Foundation, a non-profit human-service organization, which is supported by over 19 million volunteers worldwide.
Devarajan is one of the leading creative forces in Indian animation and character entertainment. In addition to co-creating The Legend of Hanuman, the #1 animated mythology series in India across every season released, he was the writer and co-creator of the acclaimed Baahubali animated series (Baahubali: The Lost Legends and Baahubali: Crown of Blood), and the co-creator of Pavitr Prabhakar, the Indian Spider-Man for Marvel, a character who went on to appear in the Oscar-nominated film, Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse. Most recently he also co-created and produced the new animated series, The Legend of Karna.
The film is targeting a worldwide theatrical release. Devarajan is the Producer of the film; Executive Producers include Jeevan J. Kang and Subrah S. Iyar. Co-Producers include Navin Miranda and Nayana Bijli.
Production is being led by Graphic India’s award-winning animation studio.