Tabu, Vijay Varma, Manoj Bajpayee lead cast of Audible and DC’s Hindi audio adaption of Neil Gaiman’s The Sandman

Audible has announced the star-studded ensemble cast — led by Tabu, Vijay Varma and Manoj Bajpayee — of the first-ever Hindi audio adaptation of Neil Gaiman’s best-selling graphic novel series, The Sandman.

Written by Gaiman, who is also the co-executive producer, and adapted and directed by Dirk Maggs, the Hindi adaptation is published by DC and is due to be released soon on the audio platform.

The Sandman series is the best-selling Audible Original in the company’s history and held the number one spot on The New York Times' Best Seller Audio Fiction list in July and August 2020.

The ensemble cast is headlined by the award-winning actress Tabu, as the narrator, while actor Vijay Varma voices the lead character Morpheus aka Dream. Manoj Bajpayee is Doctor Destiny, Neeraj Kabi is Lucifer, Adarsh Gourav is John Constantine, Kubbra Sait is Death, Sushant Divgikar is Desire and Tillotama Shome is Calliope. The Hindi adaptation will feature an original musical score by British Academy award-winner James Hannigan.

Shailesh Sawlani, vice-president and country general manager of Audible India, said, “The Sandman is a cultural phenomenon that has pierced the zeitgeist. We are thrilled to bring together some of India's most celebrated, beloved and iconic voices to breathe life into this fan-favourite epic fantasy. We are honoured to be working alongside DC to create this truly local and immersive adaptation that we are confident fans and listeners will love.”

Gaiman’s epic story tells the story of the Sandman, also known as Lord Morpheus, who is captured from his realm and imprisoned on earth by a nefarious cult. The immortal king of dreams, stories and imagination languishes for decades before finally he escapes. After he is free, he must retrieve the three “tools” that will restore his power and help him to rebuild his dominion, which has lapsed in his absence.

The English adaptation was narrated by Gaiman himself while actor James McAvoy voiced the main character. The supporting cast  comprised artistes Riz Ahmed, Kat Dennings, Taron Egerton, Samantha Morton, Bebe Neuwirth and Andy Serkis.