Historyverse, India’s culture-focused content label within Collective Studios, has announced ‘Vikram Betal’, an AI-powered adaptation of the ancient Indian folklore of King Vikramaditya and the spirit Betal. Birla Open Minds will act as the knowledge partner for this project.
The original work is rooted in the Vital Pachisi, a collection of stories told by the spirit Betal to King Vikram, each ending with a moral riddle, and has been the basis of popular Indian stories for generations. The most famous film adaptation was Vikram Aur Betaal, also directed by Ramanand Sagar, which aired on DD National from October 1985 to April 1986, starring Arun Govil as King Vikrama and Sajjan as Vetala. The series ran for 26 weeks and captivated audiences around the world. It is widely acknowledged that this success gave Sagar the confidence to continue working on his groundbreaking ‘Ramayana’ series. Subsequent adaptations include the Colors series, the 2004 Cartoon Network TV movie, and the 2018 &TV series.
The Historyverse project is produced through Galleri5, Collective Studios’ in-house AI storytelling studio, and the company positions emerging technologies as complementary to, rather than taking away from, the core of the original story and philosophy.
Students in the Birla Open Minds school network will be offered behind-the-scenes access to selected interactions and productions, and the partnership is structured around exposing young audiences to the role of artificial intelligence in modern content production.
“‘Vikram Betal’ is a perfect example of an enduring IP that continues to inspire imagination and critical thinking. Our partnership with Birla Open Minds allows us to extend this commitment to education as well, creating meaningful ways for young learners to connect with India’s cultural heritage through the power of storytelling,” said Vijay Subramaniam, Founder and Group CEO of Collective Artists Network.
Birla Open Nirvaan Birla, Managing Director, Minds, said, “We believe that education should connect students with both cultural heritage and emerging technologies. “We bring these two worlds together by reimagining one of our traditions through the use of artificial intelligence. This provides students with a unique opportunity to engage with creativity, technology, and storytelling while staying connected to the cultural foundations that continue to shape generations.”
This announcement further strengthens Historyverse’s stated ambition to build a long-term platform centered on India’s history, folklore and cultural stories across films, series, games and emerging formats.
