Big B to explore his animated avatar in TV series

After enthralling audiences with his diverse roles in films like "Shamitabh" and "Piku", Amitabh Bachchan will now be seen in an all-new animated avatar via a TV series. The lead character will not just look like the megastar, but will also be voiced by him.

The 72-year-old veteran actor has joined hands with Graphic India, Disney to create an animated series "Astra Force", which is slated to air on Disney Channel India in 2017, said a statement.

"I am truly excited to be collaborating with my friends Sharad Devarajan at Graphic India and Siddharth Roy Kapur at Disney to launch this exciting new superhero series, 'Astra Force'," Amitabh said.

The show promises to be funny, fast-paced and full of action and adventure. It tells the story of a mythical hero, which will be played by Amitabh, who was stranded on earth millions of years ago after an epic space battle.

Amitabh, whose role as a ghost in the supernatural comedy "Bhoothnath", earned him a massive fan following among the younger audience, said that it's India's time to "create new heroes and animated shows to spark the imaginations of children all across the world".

Commenting on Disney's collaboration with Amitabh, Siddharth Roy Kapur, managing director, Disney India, said: "At Disney, we believe in showcasing great stories with compelling characters that are loved by our audiences. It is imperative to get the local texture right for any story to resonate and emotionally connect with the viewers.

"With Mr. Bachchan associating with Graphics India and Disney Channel India on 'Astra Force,' we will be bringing an interesting facet to storytelling in the local animation space."

Calling Amitabh as a "real life superhero", Sharad Devarajan, Graphic India's co-founder and CEO, said that the veteran actor is "the perfect person to become immortalised in this new animated avatar".

Devarajan is the producer on "Astra Force" along with Jeevan J. Kang, senior vice president, Creative at Graphic India, who is overseeing visual development, character design and art for the project.

In addition to the partnership with Disney Channel India, Graphic India will also be launching the character in a series of digital and print comic books available on a special Facebook comic app.