Salman Khan’s Chulbul Pandey comes to Disney+ Hotstar VIP in animated avatar

Salman Khan’s iconic character Chulbul Pandey from the hit film Dabangg (2010) is back in a new avatar. Thanks to its popularity, the character is now returning in the animated series Dabangg: The Animated Series, which is being streamed on Disney+ Hotstar and will also be aired on Cartoon Network. 

The animated series has been created by Cosmos-Maya, an animation studio founded by filmmaker Ketan Mehta and actress Deepa Sahi.

The actor took to social media to reveal that the episodes have also dropped on Cartoon Network possibly to reach more kids. While sharing the trailer, he wrote, “Bhaiyaji smile! Aa gaye hain ‘Chulbul Pandey’ apne animated avatar mein in ‘Dabangg-The Animated Series’ 31st May se, har roz 12 baje, Cartoon Network par!”

Apart from Chulbul, Makkhi, played by Arbaaz Khan, and Sonakshi Sinha’s character Rajjo will also be part of the animated version. 

Salman Khan said he is excited to watch the series with his nieces and nephews.

“I couldn’t be happier that Chulbul, Makkhi and Rajjo are returning in animated avatars to entertain the children of our country. I cannot wait to binge-watch all episodes of Dabangg: The Animated Series with my nieces and nephews while at home,” the 55-year-old said in a statement.

“Animation has opened up yet another dimension for this character and I’m thrilled Cosmos-Maya did that. I hope that all children, along with their families, take time out and enjoy watching this together,” the actor added.

Arbaaz Khan, who has co-produced the animated show, said, “Dabangg, for me, goes beyond just a film or a franchise; and to see it coming to life in an all-new format is overwhelming and we were on board with the idea, the moment we met team Cosmos-Maya. They have revolutionized Indian animation and I couldn't have asked for a better animation studio partner.”

Directed by Abhinav Kashyap, Dabangg, which released in 2010, featured Salman Khan as a fearless Robinhood-like police officer with unorthodox working methods.

The film marked Arbaaz Khan’s foray into production and he went on to direct the film’s sequel in 2012. The third part, which came out in 2019, was directed by Prabhu Deva.

The first eight episodes of season one of Dabangg: The Animated Series are available on Disney+ Hotstar in Hindi, Tamil and Telugu.