MAM
Cosmos-Maya’s next animation magnum opus is a series inspired by Chulbul Pandey, the iconic cop immortalized by Salman Khan in the blockbuster Dabangg, produced by Arbaaz Khan
The Eid announcement is for the first of its kind animation adaptation of a Bollywood blockbuster where the lead character is his own self, and not a child avatar.
Chulbul Pandey is back, this time in an animation avatar. Leading animation studio Cosmos-Maya is producing the animation series adaptation of Arbaaz Khan Productions’ highly successful Dabangg franchise. The animated comic-caper series is being created with the same characters as the films and universal storylines which cater to a wide range of audiences. Two seasons of the adventure-comedy series are being produced with Season 2 coming out in 2021. The first season will have 52 half-hour episodes. Targeted at kids & family, the series is a wholesome entertainer for all audiences and promises a full family viewing experience. The studio will announce the Pay TV & OTT partners soon.
The series chronicles the day to day life of Police Officer Chulbul Pandey (played by Salman Khan in the films). Backed at each step by his entourage, he stands in the face of evil to keep the city safe. Fighting evil is a tough job but whatever the situation may be, Chulbul always has the time to lighten up the mood with his jokes, limericks, and one-liners. Chulbul is joined by his endearing younger brother Makkhi (played by Arbaaz Khan in the films), who is new in the police force and who keeps trying to emulate him. Makkhi does make his brother look better at his own expense, but then again, it is his large heart and child-like innocence that set him apart anyway. Needless to say, both Chulbul and Makkhi have immense brand equity with the youth.
The show will feature the animated avatars of all iconic characters of the franchise including the three antagonists Chhedi Singh, Bachcha Bhaiya and Baali, Rajjo (played by Sonakshi Sinha in the films), Prajapati Ji (played by the late Vinod Khanna in the films) and the ‘BhaiyaJi Ismile’ guy.
Speaking on the development, Arbaaz Khan said, “Dabangg’s biggest USP is that it is a complete family entertainer & thus, the next logical step to further grow the franchise was to enter the animation space. The medium offers unparalleled creative freedom with storytelling, and we can focus on shorter standalone stories in lieu of longer, linear narratives. Chulbul’s persona is larger than life and in animation his adventures will be showcased as never seen before. We are very happy to be working with Cosmos-Maya on this glorious franchise which has won the heart of millions. The union has been organic in the sense that the franchise and the studio have both captured the pulse of the Indian masses with entertaining grassroots level storytelling and relatable narratives. Exciting times lie ahead.”
Anish Mehta, CEO Cosmos-Maya said, “We are delighted to be partnering with Arbaaz Khan Productions in this historic merger of Bollywood and Animation. Cosmos-Maya which has for long been the trendsetter in the industry, for the first time ever, is bringing a major Bollywood franchise to animation with the adult protagonist being portrayed as an adult. With more and more content viewing platforms shifting their onus to animation, a medium which can adapt itself beautifully to all narrative formats, people of all ages are becoming more accepting of the medium which has traditionally been associated with kids’ viewing. With never seen before animation quality and responsible, Bollywood inspired storytelling, it will be our endeavor to further extend the reach of this iconic brand so that more kids, teenagers and families are engaged and entertained.”
The three films in the Dabangg franchise have grossed more than INR 7 Billion worldwide making it one the most successful Bollywood franchises of all times. The films have also done exceedingly well on TV and Digital platforms. Dabangg garnered an astounding TRP of 9.2 when it was premiered on TV. Salman Khan is one of the most loved celebrities in the world and children are one of the most significant contributors (directly and as influencers) to his box office and TV numbers. After Motu Patlu, which is viewed by close to 500 million people, this is Cosmos-Maya’s second show featuring adult protagonists. The series promises audiences all-out entertainment, and with never done before action-comedy sequences, larger than life characters, gadgets straight out of a Bond movie, there is something for everyone.
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Abhay Duggal joins JioStar as director of Hindi GEC ad sales
The streaming giant brings in a seasoned revenue hand as the battle for Hindi television advertising heats up
MUMBAI: Abhay Duggal has a new desk, and JioStar has a new weapon. The media and entertainment veteran has joined JioStar as director of entertainment ad sales for Hindi general entertainment channels, adding 17 years of hard-won revenue experience to one of India’s most powerful broadcasting operations.
Duggal is no stranger to big portfolios or bruising markets. Before joining JioStar, he spent a brief stint at Republic World as deputy general manager and north regional head for ad sales. Before that, he put in three years at Enterr10 Television, where he ran the north region for Dangal TV and Dangal 2, two of India’s leading free-to-air Hindi channels. The north alone accounted for more than 50 per cent of total channel revenue on his watch, a number that tends to get attention in any sales meeting.
His longest stint was at Zee Entertainment Enterprises, where he spent over six years rising to associate director of sales. There he commanded the Hindi movies cluster across seven channels, owned more than half of north India’s revenue across flagship properties including Zee TV and &TV, and closed marquee sponsorships across the Indian Premier League, Zee Rishtey Awards and Dance India Dance. He also handled monetisation for the English movies and entertainment cluster and the global news channel WION, a portfolio that would stretch most sales teams twice his size.
Earlier in his career Duggal closed what was then a Rs 3 crore single deal at Reliance Broadcast Network, one of the largest in Indian radio at the time, before that he helped launch and monetise JAINHITS, India’s first HITS-based cable and satellite platform.
His edge, by his own account, lies in marrying data and instinct: translating audience trends, inventory signals and client demands into long-term partnerships built on cost-per-rating-point discipline rather than short-term deal chasing. In a media landscape being reshaped by streaming, fragmented attention and AI-driven advertising, that kind of rigour is increasingly rare and increasingly valuable.
JioStar, which blends the scale of Reliance’s Jio platform with the content firepower of Star, is doubling down on its advertising business at precisely the moment the Hindi GEC market is getting more competitive. Bringing in someone who has spent nearly two decades doing exactly this, across some of India’s most watched channels, is a pointed statement of intent. Duggal has spent his career turning audiences into revenue. JioStar is clearly betting he can do it again, and bigger.
