Baahubali franchise: transmedia convergence and cinematic assemblage in India

Transmedia convergence in India is a relatively new and underexplored phenomenon. Within this evolving cultural context, we take the case study of Baahubali (2015–present) that exemplifies how mythological storytelling is reimagined through cinema, animation, literature, graphic novels, and digital gaming to create a unified and immersive media experience. As a historical fictional fantasy franchise, Baahubali has expanded beyond celluloid cinema, illustrating how myth, cultural industry, and media converge to shape new Indian visual culture and identities. We argue that Baahubali’s transmedia storytelling frequently reverts to a media hierarchy, where the film serves as the central “mothership” model and the franchise derives its narrative authority from the cinematic core. Moreover, this article engages with the theoretical framework of assemblage, as articulated by Gilles Deleuze and Félix Guattari, to interrogate the mythology-inflected landscape of contemporary India.