The AI technology that powers the "Mahabharat: Ek Dharmayudh" series on Star Plus and JioHotstar is now expanding its horizons to Indonesia. Its developer, Galleri5, in collaboration with Collective Studios' Historyverse, aims to create a range of films and series inspired by Indonesia's rich mythology and historical narratives.
Historyverse, dedicated to original intellectual property and studio projects within the Collective Artists Network, is teaming up with Galleri5 and the Singhasari Special Economic Zone for this initiative. The collaboration will explore various genres, including mythology, fantasy, history, and animation. Indonesian creatives and cultural experts will collaborate closely with Historyverse's IP development team, employing advanced production tools crafted by Galleri5 in India.
One of the initial projects under consideration is "Echoes of Nusantara," a working title for a fresh mythology-adventure narrative. Historyverse will lead the creative development, production, and intellectual property packaging processes, while also working with local talent to prepare projects for potential financing, production, and distribution beyond Indonesian borders.
Vijay Subramaniam, founder and group CEO of Collective Artists Network, emphasized the potential for diverse storytelling, remarking, "The next global entertainment franchises won't solely emerge from Hollywood. Each region possesses unique stories that merit wider exposure, and Indonesia boasts an incredible wealth of such narratives. Our goal with Collective Studios' Historyverse is to collaborate with Indonesian creators to transform these tales into films, series, and expansive entertainment properties for global audiences. Galleri5 enables us to tackle filmmaking on a larger scale while ensuring that the creative vision and the stories remain paramount."
Galleri5’s flagship product, G5 AI Studio, integrates over 200 AI models with specialized tools for storyboarding, character and world design, animation, visual effects, and high-quality video production. The platform has already facilitated the creation of more than 10,000 advertisements and videos. The AI filmmaking technology that supported "Mahabharat: Ek Dharmayudh" will also shape the workflows for Historyverse's upcoming theatrical endeavors, which include titles like "Chiranjeevi Hanuman – The Eternal" and "Krishna," allowing Galleri5 to further refine its technology in response to real-world creative and production challenges.
Rahul Regulapati, founder and CEO of Galleri5 and a partner at Collective Artists Network, stated, "The future of global cinema is set to rest on a new technological framework. At Galleri5, we are establishing that very foundation with G5 AI Studio, merging cutting-edge AI models and filmmaking processes into a singular platform. We've successfully showcased this technology's capabilities in the Indian film and television sectors, and now, by joining forces with Indonesia’s remarkable creative talent and Collective's studio expertise, we can bring locally rooted stories to international audiences."
For Indonesian creators, this partnership offers an invaluable opportunity to align original stories and talent with tools designed to enhance production scalability.
Airlangga Hartarto, Indonesia's coordinating minister for economic affairs and chairman of the National Council for Special Economic Zones, affirmed the nation’s intent to take an active role in AI development rather than merely being a consumer. "Our aim is to shape technology itself. Special Economic Zones empower us to realize this ambition, generating skilled employment for our youth and fostering new growth opportunities towards achieving an 8 percent economic growth rate," he stated.
The Singhasari Special Economic Zone will facilitate connections with Indonesian creators, studios, investors, distributors, and institutions within the creative economy, establishing local collaborations and market access.
KRAT David Santoso KR, CEO of Lokanima and head of Singhasari Special Economic Zone, noted the historical significance of the land, which thrived eight centuries ago as a center for engineering, the arts, scholarship, and governance, enriched by centuries of interaction with India. "Today, our partnership with Indian collaborators aims to revive that heritage through the mastery of AI transformation. We strive to boost Indonesia's competitiveness in emerging technology and digital content sectors, centered around local talent and intellectual properties," he said.
India’s ambassador to Indonesia, Sandeep Chakravorty, remarked on the deep cultural ties between the two nations, highlighting that both the Ramayana and the Mahabharata have enriched Indonesian temple culture, wayang (traditional puppet theater), and the collective imagination for over a thousand years. "In this era, India and Indonesia are together forging the next chapter of that shared narrative through the lens of artificial intelligence," he concluded.
