iWorld
Amazon Prime to air ‘Baahubali’ animation series
NEW DELHI: The magnum opus ‘Baahubali’, a film that earned over Rs 6000 million in worldwide box office collections, is now being turned into a new multi-episode animated series titled – “Baahubali: The Lost Legends”.
This was announced by Amazon Prime Video which has tied up wth acclaimed filmmaker SS Rajamouli, Graphic India and Arka Mediaworks.
“S.S. Rajamouli is one of the most visionary movie minds in current times and we are thrilled to have him launch this exclusive series, Baahubali: The Lost Legends,” said Amazon Prime Video India Director and Country Head Nitesh Kripalani in a statement, adding, “The animation series will allow our customers to discover hidden stories and legends from the Baahubali world. And now for the first time, customers can watch the exclusive trailer first on www.Amazon.in”
“What we managed to showcase in the film was just the tip of the iceberg,” said director Rajamouli. “From the minute I started working on this story, I knew the world of ‘Baahubali’ cannot be encompassed into a film or two, simply because there is so much more to tell and animation is another way to do that.”
Graphic India Co-Founder & CEO Sharad Devarajan feels that filled with political intrigue, betrayal, war, action and adventure, the animated series will take audiences on new adventures beyond the film.
As a part of festive celebrations, customers can watch the exclusive teaser trailer of `Baahubali: The Lost Legends’, the animated series, exclusively on www.Amazon.in only on 1 and 2 October 2016.
The animated series was conceived by S S Rajamouli, Sharad Devarajan and Arka Mediaworks, who will all be producers along with Jeevan J. Kang, Graphic’s EVP Creative and the lead character designer for the new animated series. Graphic’s senior animation writer, Ashwin Pande, will also be a producer.
According to Arka Mediaworks CEO Shobu Yarlagadda, “Having created so many iconic stories and characters, there is no one more equipped than Graphic India, to take the story of Baahubali forward. We are very excited for what’s to come.”
Baahubali: The Lost Legends is set before the Kalakeya invasion depicted in the movie, when Baahubali and Bhallaladeva are still both young princes of Mahishmati. Two brothers competing to rule the greatest kingdom of its age and the epic adventures they must endure to prove they are worthy to one day wear the crown. Under the watchful eye of Sivagami, and the warrior Katappa, one shall rise to be King of the throne, while the other shall become King of the people.
The animated series will feature new, never before revealed stories about the characters from the film including Prince Baahubali, Bhallaladeva, Kattapa and Sivagami as well as dozens of new characters that will expand the world of Baahubali and reveal hidden secrets for millions of fans, an official statement stated.
Gaming
MTG gaming chief Benninghoff joins NODWIN board as esports firm primes for IPO
The Gurugram-based esports firm is pursuing a public listing, has returned to profitability and is growing revenues by 42 per cent
GURUGRAM: NODWIN Gaming is moving fast. The Gurugram-based gaming and esports company has launched a pre-IPO fundraising round, appointed UBS as lead adviser for both the round and a subsequent public listing, and landed a heavyweight board director, all in one go.
The new board member is Arnd Benninghoff, executive vice president of gaming at Stockholm-listed Modern Times Group (MTG), who has overseen the group’s strategic investments and portfolio growth since 2014. He is no stranger to building things: Benninghoff has founded and built fifteen companies, served as chief digital officer at ProSiebenSat.1 Media AG, managing director of SevenVentures, and chief executive of Holtzbrinck eLAB. He began his career as a journalist at Deutsche Presse Agentur and various TV networks, holds a Diplom-Kaufmann in business and administration from the University of Münster, and previously sat on the board of Edgeware AB.
The numbers back the ambition
NODWIN is not pitching a story without substance. The company has returned to EBITDA profitability and posted a 42 per cent year-on-year revenue surge, reaching $58.5m in the first nine months of FY2026. The pre-IPO round will combine a primary issuance to fund global expansion through organic growth and acquisitions, alongside a secondary sale to give existing shareholders some liquidity.
Akshat Rathee, co-founder and managing director of NODWIN Gaming, said Benninghoff understands “the entire lifecycle of the gaming and media ecosystem, from the boots-on-the-ground reality of building startups to the strategic complexity of managing multi-billion dollar global portfolios.”
Benninghoff, for his part, said the company “sits at the intersection of sports, entertainment, and technology, making it one of the most exciting players in the global gaming landscape today.”
A portfolio built for the global south
Founded in 2014 by Rathee and Gautam Virk, NODWIN has quietly assembled one of the more compelling esports portfolios outside the Western hemisphere. Its properties include DreamHack India and Comic Con India, and it recently acquired StarLadder, the Ukraine-based tournament organiser behind premier events in CS:GO and Dota 2. The company also serves as a long-term strategic marketing partner for the Evolution Championship Series (EVO), the world’s most prominent fighting game tournament, helping push it into new geographies.
Its geographic focus spans South Asia, Central Asia, Southeast Asia, the Middle East and Africa. Backers include Nazara Technologies, KRAFTON, Sony Group Corporation, JetSynthesys, and the founders’ investment vehicle Good Game Investments.
What comes next
With UBS running the books, a board freshly reinforced with European media and gaming expertise, and revenue heading in the right direction, NODWIN is laying the groundwork deliberately. The esports industry has burned investors before with big promises and thin margins. NODWIN’s return to profitability, combined with a real portfolio of owned intellectual properties across gaming, music and youth culture, gives it a more credible runway than most. The IPO clock is now ticking.
