Jenam 2011The late 90s saw India have its first date with space/sci-fi superhero, Captain Vyom – The Sky Warrior. Now, over twenty years later, the Indian space superhero is ready for a sleek and modern new avatar. For the uninitiated, filmmaker Ketan Mehta’s popular creation – which originally aired on Doordarshan – featured actor-model Milind Soman in the title role.
We have learned that the newly created production house, Brewing Thoughts Private Limited (BTPL), which is producing the Shaktimaan trilogy with Sony Pictures International Productions, has acquired the adaptation/remake rights to Cosmos Maya. BTPL’s licensed rights include a five-part feature film franchise, plus an equal number of web series.
A delighted Mehta confirms the news and says, “I’m really excited. To me, Captain Vyom is an Indian-born superhero for a global audience. And it’s time to reinvent itself when India dreams of its space in the new century. I look forward to our partnership with BTPL to move Vyom forward into the millennium. I hope and wish for this superhero to fly to new heights and distant lands. This franchise, with an intergalactic space adventure at its heart, can also be an ideal platform to showcase the best of our nation’s VFX and CGI talent.
BTPL plans to develop Captain Vyom – a space superhero/sci-fi thriller – modeled after Hollywood sci-fi space dramas such as Star Trek, Star Wars and the Guardians Of The Galaxy series. Since the space/sci-fi superhero concept has remained largely intact for Indian filmmakers, BTPL is excited about the potential as well as the massive reach of the genre. In fact, the creators have already received three to four lucrative offers from top OTT studios/platforms for a co-production deal with the superhero franchise.
“Not only that, some of the top A-list young stars have also shown keen interest in playing the lead role. Additionally, conversations are ongoing with top filmmakers known for their big budget films as well as sensitive storytelling. Manufacturers, however, are still in waiting mode and watching, weighing all the offers and options. It is certain that the planned franchise will show the world never seen before in space/space sci-fi to the Indian audience but the makers are in no rush as their vision is to deliver the best possible franchise in this particular game. space, from India”, explains a source close to BTPL.
“It’s a big challenge and a huge responsibility to try something like this, especially in India, but we keep our fingers crossed. One thing is certain, however. Now might be the best time to try a space/sci-fi superhero adventure in our country. Also, it’s great that we’re reliving our childhood – from the 90s – through our planned adaptations of hit Doordarshan shows such as Shaktimaan and Captain Vyom, etc. says former film journalist-turned-producer Prashant Singh, the director. and co-founder of BTPL.
Initially, BTPL planned to start working on the said franchise in 2020 itself, but the Covid-19 pandemic played spoilsport and delayed their plans. Now, however, the company is expected to start with the first film in the series next year. “With the Reloaded Captain Vyom, we intend to amplify an exciting space/sci-fi genre in India. The very idea of having concepts like aliens, spaceships, time travel and space exploration merged with beautiful storytelling and supported by cutting-edge visual effects is very exciting,” says Madhurya Vinay, co-founder of BTPL.
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