Graphic India, Sadhguru announce animated feature ‘Shiva: The Adiyogi’

Graphic India, the studio behind the animated series The Legend of Hanuman, has partnered with yogi and Isha Foundation founder Sadhguru to develop Shiva: The Adiyogi, an animated feature film based on the story of Shiva as Adiyogi, the first yogi in the Yogic tradition.

The film, which is being positioned as an epic animated feature for a global audience, is being created from a story by Sadhguru and filmmaker and writer Sharad Devarajan, co-founder of Graphic India.

According to the makers, the story will explore Shiva's journey from a state of transcendence and detachment to his engagement with humanity. The narrative will include episodes involving Sati, Veerabhadra, Kailash and the transmission of yogic knowledge to seven seekers at Kanti Sarovar.


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The film will culminate in the story of Shiva imparting the 112 ways of transcending the limitations of human existence, an account associated with the Adiyogi tradition.

“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,” Sadhguru said in a statement. He described Shiva's significance as being rooted in the possibility of going beyond the limitations imposed by physical nature.

Devarajan said the project offered an opportunity to combine mythology, spectacle and an emotional narrative.

“This is the story of how wisdom itself was born, and why it was shared with humanity,” he said, describing the film as a story involving love, loss, wrath and awakening.

The production is being led by Graphic India's animation studio. Devarajan will serve as producer, with Jeevan J. Kang and Subrah S. Iyar as executive producers. Navin Miranda and Nayana Bijli are co-producers.

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The makers are targeting a worldwide theatrical release. No release date or distribution partner has been announced.

Graphic India is known for The Legend of Hanuman, which has emerged as a prominent Indian animated mythology franchise. Devarajan has also worked on animated projects connected to Baahubali and co-created Pavitr Prabhakar, the Indian Spider-Man character featured in Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse.

Sadhguru, whose teachings and content are distributed internationally through Isha Foundation, founded the organisation more than three decades ago. He is also the author of several books and a recipient of the Padma Vibhushan.