Illusion Reality Studioz, has, in a short span of time, churned out some high-class, quality projects one after the other. The VFX dynamo is proving to be the one-stop destination for all VFX and animation needs and the success of their latest offering Taj: Divided by Blood is a testament to it.
Released in collaboration with Zee5, Taj: Divided by Blood has become the most watched series on Zee5 with close to 250+ million-minute views. According to the latest Ormax Media report, the series is one of the top five most popular OTT Originals of the week – beating one of the best TV shows in recent times – The Last of Us.
For Illusion Reality Studioz, Taj: Divided by Blood is a highly detailed oriented and complex show, that required meticulous attention to the smallest details. From intricate lighting and shadows to crafting photorealistic textures of iconic structures, the team ensured seamless visual rendition for the digital screens. Matching international standards while pushing boundaries with creativity, the VFX team has brought together an immersive experience. With advanced technology and technical artistic creativity, Taj: Divided by Blood has redefined the viewing experience for the audiences.
Nitin Dadoo, CEO, Illusion Reality Studioz said, “The animation and VFX industry is rapid and the progression is huge. When we want to tell bigger stories of time travel, sci-fi, robots and superhumans, we want to tell the story differently and VFX is a strong tool to deliver that. Taj: Divided by Blood was challenging and exciting at the same time because we had to showcase a certain time period. When we speak about the show, the grandeur, war and culture is what we pictured. To recreate all of this we needed through research and advanced technology and creators. We are glad that we could be able to match and enhance the director’s vision to make Taj: Divided by Blood a huge success as it just motivates us to scale newer heights”
One of the most intriguing scenes is a full-scale war which was captured brilliantly with the use of cutting-edge technology. From recreating the majestic Bala Hissar Fort (Kabul) to the Sheesh Mahal, and even the burning war, the Illusion team produced a level of realism that wouldn’t have been possible earlier. With CGI setups, live characters were placed into it, together with the huge army, elephants, cavalry, infantry, cannons, arms and ammunition were amplified using VFX and the grandeur of the historic theme was showcased with all the minute details.
Ron Scalpello, Director, Taj said, “It was extremely important to stage this spectacular story on a cinematic canvas, with high in-camera action and performances while working with Illusion Reality Studioz on pre-visualisations, storyboards to ensure that the grand Mughal Empire was fully realised. Their superb and inspired team enhanced my vision for the project with imaginative use of all post elements and they were equally ambitious with large battle sequences, set extensions and crowd reproductions throughout. Taj: Divided By Blood has the grande, cinematic scale it demanded thanks to Illusion Reality Studioz.”
The 10-episode series which is streaming on Zee 5 is described as a revelatory tale about the inner workings and the succession drama that played out in the hallowed chambers of the Mughal empire. The ensemble cast includes Aditi Rao Hydari as Anarkali, Naseeruddin Shah as Emperor Akbar, Aashim Gulati as Prince Salim, Taha Shah as Prince Murad, Shubham Kumar Mehra as Prince Daniyal, Sandhya Mridul as Queen Jodha Bai, Zareena Wahab as Queen Salima, Sauraseni Maitra as Mehr un Nisa and Rahul Bose as Mirza Hakim.
