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MUMBAI:
CA Media, the Asian investment arm of The Chernin Group, has
acquired an undisclosed large minority stake in Graphic India,
a comic book and animation company focused on creating mythological
and superhero characters, comics and stories for the Indian
youth market, published across mobile and online platforms.
With
this, CA Media has made its third acquisition in India. The
company acquired 49 per cent stake in Endemol India and Only
Much Louder (OML) and is looking at investing $50 million
in Indian digital companies. In addition, CA also incubates
a company called Fluence which manages Amitabh Bachchan, Salman
Khan and Karisma Kapoor.
Launched
last year by media entrepreneurs Sharad Devarajan, Gotham
Chopra and Suresh Seetharaman as a subsidiary of U.S. comic
book company Liquid Comics, Graphic India will now be jointly
owned by Liquid Comics and CA Media.
Devarajan
will be appointed CEO of Graphic India and remain Executive
Chairman of Liquid Comics.
As
part of the transaction, Liquid Comics will contribute one
of the world’s largest and highest-quality comic book
libraries based on Indian characters to Graphic India. In
addition to CA Media’s investment, it will partner with
Graphic India to provide industry expertise and create iconic
franchises for Graphic’s characters through multiple
media within the Indian entertainment ecosystem.
Graphic
India will launch mythological and superhero characters and
storylines through animated shorts, digital comics, and associated
media content. It will enable consumers to experience its
growing library of content across a variety of mobile and
online devices, both within India and worldwide through its
own digital platform as well as through distribution partners.
CA
Media India CEO Rajesh Kamat said, "Following our successful
entry into the traditional media space, we are very pleased
that Graphic India marks our first investment in the digital
space.CA Media’s aim is to create an ecosystem of diversified
assets across media, where each asset not only unlocks its
own value, but also adds to the rest of the portfolio. Graphic
India is a valuable addition to this mix, especially in the
youth segment. We look forward to working with the company
to create heroes that inspire the next generation of Indian
consumers.”
Graphic
India intends to launch numerous new projects in the upcoming
year showcasing original stories from young breakthrough talent
as well as established Indian and global icons.
The
company has partnered with POW! Entertainment and Stan Lee,
the legendary co-creator of Spider-Man, X-Men, Hulk, Iron
Man, Hulk and The Avengers, to create his first superhero
for the Indian market, Chakra The Invincible. The story centers
on Mumbai teenager Raju Rai, who develops a technology-enhanced
suit that activates the mystical chakras of the body, unleashing
newfound abilities and powers. Lee will be collaborating with
a team of leading Indian artists and creators to bring the
new superhero to animation and comic books.
In
addition to numerous new properties in production, Graphic
India will release new digital content around the highly acclaimed
comic books previously published by Liquid Comics, including:
-
Devi, created by preeminent filmmaker Shekhar Kapur (Elizabeth;
Mr. India; The Golden Age) features the story of an immortal
goddess reincarnated as a young woman in the fictional Indian
city of Sitapur, charged with using her super-heroic powers
to save her city from demons and monsters.
- The
Sadhu, created by Gotham Chopra, about a British colonial
soldier who becomes trained by the Indian mystics known
as Sadhus and uses his newfound abilities for justice and
currently being developed as a theatrical live-action film
in Hollywood.
-
Ramayan 3392AD, a futuristic epic inspired by the classical
Ramayana myth and currently being developed as a theatrical
live-action film in Hollywood with Mandalay Entertainment.
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