Sharad Devarajan

Biography:

Sharad Devarajan, the CEO and co-founder of Liquid Comics LLC, a digital entertainment firm, also holds the same positions at Graphic India, a company he established with CA Media LP, the Asian investment arm of The Chernin Group, LLC, headed by Peter Chernin.

Previously, Devarajan played pivotal roles as the co-founder, CEO, and publisher of Virgin Comics, a venture he initiated alongside Sir Richard Branson and the Virgin Group, along with Gotham Chopra, Suresh Seetharaman, Deepak Chopra, and Shekhar Kapur.

In addition to his entrepreneurial endeavors, Devarajan has been an adjunct professor of business at Columbia Business School for over fifteen years, where he imparts knowledge on media, entrepreneurship, and innovation, teaching courses such as Media, Marketing, and Entrepreneurship, as well as Virtual Reality and Artificial Intelligence.

Devarajan has made significant contributions to the film industry, serving as a Producer on Netflix’s live action adaptation of The Archies, directed by Zoya Akhtar. He’s also the creative force behind the Disney+Hotstar series, The Legend of Hanuman, which garnered immense popularity in India and is gearing up for its third season release in 2024.

Notably, Devarajan’s creation, Spider-Man India, featured in the animated feature film Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse, has been instrumental in its success, becoming the highest-grossing animated theatrical film ever released in India.

His collaboration with filmmaker S. S. Rajamouli and producer Shobu Yarlagadda on the transmedia strategy for the Baahubali film franchise has been highly successful, grossing over US$360 million globally. Moreover, Devarajan has co-created various projects, including the mythic-fantasy comic series and game franchise, Armored Kingdom, with Mila Kunis and Hugh Sterbakov.

Devarajan’s association with Stan Lee led to the creation of Indian superheroes like Chakra the Invincible, paving the way for diverse representation in the comic book world. His digital comic and web series, 18 Days, developed with Batman comic book writer Grant Morrison, has also been noteworthy.

At Liquid Comics, Devarajan has overseen the development of numerous original graphic novel projects, many of which are being adapted into Hollywood films or series. Additionally, he’s been involved in initiatives like Silver Scorpion, a superhero aimed at advocating for the rights of the disabled in the Middle East.

Throughout his career, Devarajan has championed the comic book medium as a powerful tool for storytelling and has actively participated in discussions aimed at reshaping perceptions of India in the global entertainment landscape.