When Amitabh Bachchan joins a project, it’s never just about celebrity power. It’s a signal. Of intent. Of ambition. Of legacy. The cinematic legend, known for constantly reinventing himself, is now venturing into interactive storytelling as co-founder of Tara Gaming Ltd. He’s joined by two visionaries: bestselling author and cultural commentator Amish Tripathi, and seasoned game executive Nouredine Abboud. Together, they’ve set their sights on something long overdue—putting India’s mythic imagination on the global gaming stage.
The trio’s debut venture, The Age of Bhaarat, is not just another game—it’s a world. A sweeping, AAA action-adventure franchise reimagining ancient India in all its grandeur, it aims to bridge centuries-old lore with next-gen storytelling.
Amish talks to Indulge and lets us in on the details of this new epic that is being written—this time on console.
From pen to pixels—what inspired you to transition from mythological storytelling to building a AAA video game?
Ah, the journey from pen to pixels has been exhilarating! As someone who’s always been passionate about reimagining ancient Indian legends and epics in a fresh, accessible way through my books, I saw gaming as the next natural evolution. Books transport you through words, but games? They immerse you—you become the hero, making choices in a living, breathing world. The inspiration struck when I realised that gaming is the largest entertainment medium today, bigger than movies and music combined, and yet Indian stories are underrepresented in it. With The Age of Bhaarat, we’re not just telling a story; we’re letting players live it, fighting for dharma in a dark fantasy reimagining of ancient India. It’s about taking our rich heritage global in an interactive format that resonates with the youth.
You’ve reimagined Indian mythology through your books. How is this narrative approach translating into The Age of Bhaarat?
My approach has always been to blend legends with philosophy, history, and human emotions—making ancient tales feel relevant today. In The Age of Bhaarat, that translates into a narrative where players step into a world inspired by our epics like the Ramayana, but with a dark fantasy twist. But you don’t get to play Lord Ram. If the Lord Ram and Raavan battle is the meta narrative of the Ramayana, you as the player get to play in the micro narrative; as a forest warden who fights the minor rakshasas who are a part of Raavan’s army. You’re not just reading about Gods, demons, and moral dilemmas; you’re navigating them as a powerful forest warden, mastering mystical weapons and arcane powers. The lore draws from Bharat’s timeless wisdom—concepts like dharma, karma, and the balance of nature—but it’s woven into branching storylines, player choices, and epic quests. It’s my storytelling amplified: immersive, non-linear, and deeply philosophical, ensuring itihas lovers feel the soul of our heritage while gamers get thrilling action.
Did your background as a banker help in setting up and co-founding this company? Or has the storyteller in you taken the lead?
Haha, both have played crucial roles, but the storyteller is definitely in the driver’s seat now! My banking days taught me discipline, strategy, and how to build scalable ventures—skills that were invaluable in co-founding Tara Gaming with visionaries like Nouredine Abboud and Amitabh Bachchan. We had to secure funding, assemble a world-class team, and navigate the business of creating India’s first AAA game. But at heart, this is a passion project. The storyteller in me drives the vision: crafting a universe where ancient India comes alive. Banking gave me the foundation to make it sustainable, but it’s the love for epic narratives that fuels every decision.
What does this new venture mean for the Indian gaming ecosystem?
This is a game-changer—pun intended! AAA games are high-budget, high-production titles like Assassin’s Creed or God of War, and The Age of Bhaarat being India’s first means we’re putting our ecosystem on the global map. It creates jobs for talented Indian developers, artists, and storytellers, fostering homegrown expertise. More importantly, it inspires a wave of Indian IPs, shifting from outsourcing to original creation. Our youth, who are massive gamers, will see stories from their culture in blockbuster form, boosting pride and innovation. This venture is proving that India can lead in gaming, exporting our soft power and potentially sparking a billion-dollar industry boom. It’s the dawn of a new era where Bharat’s narratives compete worldwide!
How hands-on are you with the storyline and the lore development of the game? Will we see echoes of your Shiva or Ramchandra universes?
I’m usually very hands-on and very involved in all the work that I do or that I partner with. I’m also even more closely involved because I’m learning so much. It’s a completely different industry, video gaming, the way it works. It’s equally engineering, equally creative, which is very different from books, movies, various other industries that I’ve been a part of, and documentaries. So it’s great fun to be a part of it.
But I normally tend to be very closely involved with all the creative output that I bring up or that I’m a part of. Now, echoes of my Shiva trilogy or Ramchandra series? No. That’s not going to happen.
I’ll be honest, much to my embarrassment, I didn’t even know that gaming is such a big industry. I was approached for this by Nicola Granatino, the chairman of Tara Gaming. All the employees at that time were Westerners, but some of them had read my books. So they approached me and then I asked my son, he told me I must get into gaming because my son thought that I will become cool if I get into gaming.
So which father doesn’t want to be cool in the eyes of his son? So I got pulled in through serendipity. Noorjeen Abood was already a part of this company. As you know, he’s a gaming veteran.
I suggested Amitabh Bachchan’s name. I know him because he has read and supported my books for many years. I approached him for this and he actually wanted to get involved much more deeply, not just as the voice of the trailer. Because his son Abhishek is also a gamer, just like my son is. So he said, listen, I want to get more closely involved in this. So he’s come on board as a co-founder.
What role does Amitabh Bachchan play? Will he be lending his persona to any of the characters?
He’s much more deeply involved. As you know, in a game, there are also NPCs, non-playing characters. But sometimes non-playing characters can also have a major role. They can be kind of like advisors or Rishis who guide you on where to go. So we are thinking that we could create a character who Amitabh Bachchan could voice and play. So how cool would it be? Imagine if you are a player, and one of the chief NPC is a Rishi who kind of guides you is Amitabh Bachchan himself?
Do you think gaming could be the most powerful way to take Indian epics global?
There’s a friend of mine who once took his kids to Paris. It was their first time there—but his son seemed oddly familiar with the place. Recognising landmarks, streets. My friend was puzzled, so he asked him how he knew all this. The answer? Assassin’s Creed: Unity. The game is set in Paris, and that’s how the boy had discovered the city.
That’s the soft power of storytelling through gaming—it seeps into the imagination, especially of the young. And yes, I certainly believe gaming can become a powerful new way to take Indian stories global. The Age of Bhaarat is being built at a scale that matches the best in the world— and something of this ambition has never been done before for Indian themes.
What we’re doing isn’t just storytelling, it’s creating a pipeline—where tech meets tradition. We’re setting up a full studio in Pune, training people, building capabilities. In a few years, this company will be more Indian than British—not just in spirit, but in the number of designers, creators, and developers here.
Is this a pause on your writing career, or will there be a new Amish novel in the near future?
Of course not, I’m a workaholic. There is no pause. So I have a new book coming out on August 29. It’s called The Chola Tigers, Avengers of Somnath. I released two documentaries this year, and I have a movie called Radha Ramanam, which will release by early 2026.
Would you ever adapt your existing books into game storylines?
For now, I’m just loving exploring The Age of Bhaarat. Too early to say yes or no on my books.
—manuvipin@newindianexpress.com
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